Entretiens avec Stig Björkman

by Lars von Trier, Stig Björkman, Marie Berhelius (Translator)

Lars von Trier, cinéaste venu du Danemark, doit sa reconnaissance internationale au prix décerné par le Festival de Cannes en 1996 à Breaking the Waves et à l'immense succès public qui s'ensuivit.Depuis, il a pris le temps de se forger la réputation d'une personnalité compliquée et inaccessible. Les entretiens qu'il a donnés à Stig Björkman témoignent du contraire. Il s'y montre particulièrement franc et direct, généreux de sa personne et peu avare de ses opinions au risque d'exposer ses contradictions en pleine lumière. Un goût jamais démenti pour l'introspection teintée d'autocritique, une curiosité perpétuellement en éveil, le tout accompagné d'une bonne dose de provocation.
(...) A travers ses films, Lars von Trier démontre qu'il a une confiance inébranlable en l'avenir du cinéma et la capacité de cet art de se ressourcer, la lecture de ces entretiens permet de mieux comprendre la place qu'il occupe dans cette histoire en train de s'écrire.
140 illustrations

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Biography

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Lars von Trier (Danish pronunciation: [ˈlɑːʁs fon ˈtʁiːɐ̯]; born Lars Trier; 30 April 1956) is a Danish film director and screenwriter. He is closely associated with the Dogme 95 collective, although his own films have taken a variety of different approaches. He is known for his female-centric parables and his exploration of controversial subject matter.

Von Trier began making his own films at the age of 11 after receiving a Super-8 camera as a gift, and his first publicly released film was an experimental short called The Orchid Gardener, in 1977. His first feature film came seven years later, The Element of Crime, in 1984. As of 2010, he has directed a further 9 feature films, 5 short films and 4 television productions.

He has been married twice and is currently married to Bente Frøge. Von Trier suffers periodically from depression, as well as various fears and phobias, including an intense fear of flying. As he himself once put it, "Basically, I'm afraid of everything in life, except filmmaking".

Reviews

[lindy]

The best thing I've learned so far is that when Lars von Trier is not working, he just plays Tetris all day.

[Derek Baldwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting and insightful, my only gripe being that the book is quite dated, with the lion's share of the interviews centring on his earlier films which I haven't seen. It was a shame to only have a few pages on the later films. But despite not having seen the earlier films I still found the interviews very interesting as the discussions were mostly about general issues (like how he chooses cast, lighting, camerawork, etc) and not just specific to those particular films. It was interesting to realise just how fearful and anxious v Trier is. A shame that there was no real attempt to tackle the misogyny that many have seen in his films. (personally I don't think that's fair, but it is definitely a perception that his films can create).

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another one only to read if you love von trier as I do. I recomend keeping a pen and paper with you because you will want to research some of the directors that recieve von trier's fanatical approval in this book. He is also a genuinely interesting person very much in the vein of people that make you think, I will never be that talented or successful, nor would I want to be as mad as he is if thats what it takes to get there.

[Justin Decloux · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly candid, this career ranging interview is everything you'd expect from Von Trier: Amusing, arrogant and filled with crippling self-doubt.

[rogue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lars turns out to be not at all the jerk that I had imagined. Instead we see his growth from a puppeteer into a director who works patiently with his actors. He is a congenial interviewee and very comfortable on his home turf. He is honest and has a good idea of his shortcomings as a person and as an artist. What might look like arrogance to a casual observer turns out, I think, just to be stubbornness and his need for control. He is smart and has very distinct ideas which I'm sure have been highly influential-- for example in his discussion of Dancer in the Dark & modern musicals, I felt like I was reading the inspiration or genesis of the movie-musical "Once".

[Pavel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I dislike the man and dislike most of his films (I honestly prefer stig Bjorkman's films, who is interviewing Trier here, much more), but this book represent his persona perfectly: filled with blatant lies and instant provocations it shows how Trier manipulated whole cinema world into liking him. The most interesting part though is his childhood. He was raised in a parenting system of a full freedom. As a child he got to decide himself when he goes to school, does he want to visit a dentist or what he is going to eat or to wear. His parents stripped themselves of all parenting rights (but not obligations). I think Trier became vivid example of what can be achieved with this system.

[Antonio Bunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lo compré en Los Ángeles, lo leí en San Salvador y acabó en la Condesa!

[Dang Ole' Dan Can Dangle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Von Trier being interviewed is about as annoying as Von Trier directing. His films, however, have the crucial factor of being at the very least interesting; his personality, not so.