Biographie

Hypnosis figures significantly in many of his films

Frequently casts Udo Kier

Fequently casts Jean-Marc Barr

Often casts Stellan Skarsgård.

Often casts Charlotte Gainsbourg.

Many famous directors and actors have shown their appreciation of von Trier's work. Quentin Tarantino mentions Von Trier's Dogville (2003) as his idea of the best manuscript ever written, Paul Thomas Anderson said he would "carry Lars von Trier's luggage anywhere", Martin Scorsese has Breaking the Waves (1996) listed on his top 10 films of the 90s and Johnny Depp recently said this in a Danish film magazine: "Tell von Trier I'm waiting for an offer, when he is ready, so am I".

In 1995, his dying mother told her son on her deathbed that the man he believed to be his father, in fact wasn't his biological father. Following her death, he tracked down his biological father, who after four combative meetings told him that, if he wanted to speak to him again, he could do it through his lawyer.

Has never visited the US.

Steven Spielberg offered him the chance to direct a film in America after he saw Europa (1991) but von Trier turned the script down.

He has directed three actresses to the Best Actress Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, Björk for Dancer in the Dark (2000), Charlotte Gainsbourg for Antichrist (2009) and Kirsten Dunst for Melancholia (2011).

A film should be like a rock in the shoe.

Basically, I'm afraid of everything in life, except filmmaking.

I don't think I tortured Nicole on Dogville (2003), but I know she said I was tough.

My films are about ideals that clash with the world. Every time it's a man in the lead, they have forgotten about the ideals. And everytime it's a woman in the lead, they take the ideals all the way.

If his creation is so great, why does God want us on our knees?