Following his infamous speech at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Lars Von Trier has declared that he will never again give an interview. Von Trier was widely criticized for controversial statements he made during the press conference for his newly released Melancolia. During the conference, when questioned about Hitler, he stated "I think I understand the man. He’s not what I would call a good guy, but I understand much about him, and I sympathize with him a little." He then went on to say “Now how can I get out of this sentence?" von Triere "joked." "Okay. I’m a Nazi.”
It’s thought that recent interrogations by the Danish and New Zealand authorities regarding the comments, have prompted Von Trier to issue the following statement: "Today at 2pm I was questioned by the Police of North Zealand in connection with charges made by the prosecution of Grasse in France from August 2011 regarding a possible violation of prohibition in French law against justification of war crimes."
"The investigation covers comments made during the press conference in Cannes in May 2011. Due to these serious accusations I have realized that I do not possess the skills to express myself unequivocally and I have therefore decided from this day forth to refrain from all public statements and interviews."
Von Trier is no stranger to controversy, with the Dogville director courting his fair share throughout his career. While many enjoy his candid interviews and outspoken style, many more will wonder why it took him 6 months to realise how wrong he’d been.
Via Empire
