---
name: "Lars von Trier"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/lars-von-trier"
fi1m_id: "lars-von-trier"
imdb_id: "nm0001885"
tmdb_id: 42
wikidata_id: "Q133730"
roles: ["Director","Writer"]
born: "30 April 1956"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 8
average_fi1m_score: 68
average_as: "director"
average_over: 7
updated: "2026-10-06T04:27:56.695521+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Lars von Trier

## Identity

Lars von Trier

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/lars-von-trier
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** lars-von-trier
- **IMDb ID:** nm0001885
- **TMDB ID:** 42
- **Wikidata ID:** Q133730
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_von_Trier, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q133730, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001885/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/42

Director and writer. Born 30 April 1956 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

## Details

- **Work:** Director, Writer
- **Born:** 30 April 1956, Copenhagen, Denmark
- **Active:** 1984–2012
- **Also known as:** Lars Trier
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 8: 7 directing, 1 producing
- **Frequently works with:** [Vibeke Windeløv](https://film.one/person/vibeke-windelv.md), [Charlotte Gainsbourg](https://film.one/person/charlotte-gainsbourg.md), [Meta Louise Foldager](https://film.one/person/meta-louise-foldager-srensen.md), [Niels Vørsel](https://film.one/person/niels-vrsel.md), [Stellan Skarsgård](https://film.one/person/stellan-skarsgard.md)
- **Cannes Film Festival:** 2 Cannes prizes (2 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 68, as director, over 7 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 63 (1), 1990s 68 (2), 2000s 67 (3), 2010s 75 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 68 to 57 across 7 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 2 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 1 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 7, Crime 3, Science Fiction 2, Thriller 2, Comedy 1, Horror 1
- **Screen time:** 16 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $103m across 6 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_von_Trier, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q133730, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001885/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/42

## Streaming the US now

- **MUBI:** [*Breaking the Waves*](https://film.one/film/breaking-the-waves.md) (82), [*Dogville*](https://film.one/film/dogville.md) (74), [*The Element of Crime*](https://film.one/film/the-element-of-crime.md) (63)
- **Apple TV:** [*Dancer in the Dark*](https://film.one/film/dancer-in-the-dark.md) (71), [*Antichrist*](https://film.one/film/antichrist.md) (55), [*The Idiots*](https://film.one/film/the-idiots.md) (54)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Melancholia*](https://film.one/film/melancholia.md) (80)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Lars von Trier

> Lars von Trier can make devotion painfully convincing, then demand more suffering than we can accept. We rate the emotional force of *Breaking the Waves* highly, while questioning his habit of treating cruelty as evidence of love.

Emily Watson's unguarded expression in *Breaking the Waves* (1996) makes Bess McNeill's trust in love seem painfully vulnerable to abuse. We were upset by how little she appears to protect herself; Watson makes that openness believable without asking us to approve of it. Von Trier takes Bess's faith seriously, despite the risk of looking foolish, and that gives the film much of its force. We recommend it for that emotional force, with a firm reservation about the suffering he treats as proof of devotion.

The early films formed the Europa trilogy, beginning with his first feature, *The Element of Crime* (1984), and ending with *Europa* (1991). He co-founded Dogme 95 with Thomas Vinterberg in 1995, then brought its influence into melodrama with his international breakthrough, *Breaking the Waves*. *The Idiots* (1998) was his only official Dogme feature. *Dogville* (2003) turned to theatrical, minimalist staging; *Antichrist* (2009) and *Melancholia* (2011) pursued extreme states of mind. Across these changes, he moves between handheld naturalism and highly stylised images, without losing his interest in goodness, suffering and sacrifice.

Calling him merely a provocateur misses the seriousness with which *Breaking the Waves* treats Bess's beliefs. Her severe religious community supplies certainty about right and wrong; her feelings do not fit comfortably inside it. Von Trier makes us consider self-sacrifice as an obligation within marriage, and there is courage in making a romance so uncomfortable. Watson's performance keeps that discomfort attached to a person we care about. Without her generosity, the story's demands would be much harder to bear.

The objection is to what von Trier then asks that performance to justify. As writer and director, he too often makes Bess's willingness to suffer stand as evidence of the depth of her love. We can believe her without accepting that cruelty makes her devotion meaningful. His willingness to risk our sympathy deserves credit, but the repeated insistence on suffering can become manipulative. Start with *Breaking the Waves* for Watson, and be prepared to disagree with the man directing her.

## Biography

Lars von Trier, also credited as Lars Trier, is a Danish film director and screenwriter. He was born on 30 April 1956 in Kongens Lyngby, Denmark, and trained at the National Film School of Denmark, graduating in 1983.

He directed and co-wrote *Breaking the Waves* (1996). Von Trier co-founded the Dogme 95 movement with Thomas Vinterberg. His other films include *The Idiots* (1998), *Dancer in the Dark* (2000) and *Dogville* (2003).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, britannica.com, snl.no, dfi.dk.*

## On Fi1m (8)

### Directed (7) — the average rests on these

- *Melancholia* (2011), Fi1m 80, Screenplay, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/melancholia.md)
- *Antichrist* (2009), Fi1m 55, Writer, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/antichrist.md)
- *Dogville* (2003), Fi1m 74, Director, Writer, Camera Operator — [page](https://film.one/film/dogville.md)
- *Dancer in the Dark* (2000), Fi1m 71, Lyricist, Director, Writer, Camera Operator — [page](https://film.one/film/dancer-in-the-dark.md)
- *The Idiots* (1998), Fi1m 54, as Interviewer (voice) (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/the-idiots.md)
- *Breaking the Waves* (1996), Fi1m 82, Director, Writer — [page](https://film.one/film/breaking-the-waves.md)
- *The Element of Crime* (1984), Fi1m 63, as Schmuck of Ages — [page](https://film.one/film/the-element-of-crime.md)

### Produced (1)

- *A Royal Affair* (2012), Fi1m 70, Script Supervisor, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/a-royal-affair.md)

## Complete filmography (73)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Lars von Trier: The Burden From Donald Duck* (2020), as Lars von Trier
- *The Idiots Who Started The Party* (2020), as Sig selv
- *The House That Jack Built* (2018), Story, Director, Writer, Idea
- *En invitation fra Lars von Trier* (2015), Actor
- *Too Many Cooks* (2014), as Pie
- *Colors* (2013), as Fuck Putas Edition
- *Nymphomaniac: Vol. I* (2013), Director, Writer
- *Nymphomaniac: Vol. II* (2013), Director, Writer
- *A Royal Affair* (2012), Executive Producer, Script Supervisor — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/a-royal-affair.md)
- *Melancholia* (2011), Director, Screenplay — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/melancholia.md)
- *Dimension* (2010), Director, Writer
- *Antichrist* (2009), Director, Writer — Fi1m 55, [page](https://film.one/film/antichrist.md)
- *The Early Years: Erik Nietzsche Part 1* (2007), as Narrator (voice) · Screenplay
- *To Each His Own Cinema* (2007), as The filmmaker (segment "Occupations") · Director
- *Cinema 16: European Short Films (U.S. Edition)* (2007), Director
- *The Boss of It All* (2006), as Narrator (uncredited) · Writer, Director
- *Cinema 16: European Short Films (European Edition)* (2006), Director
- *Le court des grands* (2005), Director
- *All About Anna* (2005), Executive Producer
- *A Conversation with Lars von Trier* (2005), as Interviewee
- *Idiotic Filters* (2005), Actor
- *Manderlay* (2005), Director, Writer, Camera Operator
- *Looking Back At The Idiots* (2005), Actor
- *Klovn* (2005), series, as Lars von Trier · Writer
- *Dear Wendy* (2005), Screenplay
- *Visions of Europe* (2004), Producer
- *Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital* (2004), series, Story, Executive Producer, Creator
- *Kingdom Hospital* (2004), Writer
- *The South* (2004), Producer
- *Dogville: The Pilot* (2003), Director, Writer
- *The Five Obstructions* (2003), Director, Writer, Idea
- *Obstruction #1 - The Perfect Human: Cuba* (2003), Idea
- *Dogville* (2003), Director, Camera Operator, Writer — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/dogville.md)
- *Screaming Men* (2003), Thanks
- *Wag the Dogma* (2001), Actor
- *Kayaking On The Top Of The World* (2000), Executive Producer
- *Italian for Beginners* (2000), Associate Producer
- *Dancer in the Dark* (2000), Director, Camera Operator, Writer, Lyricist — Fi1m 71, [page](https://film.one/film/dancer-in-the-dark.md)
- *100 Cameras: Capturing Lars von Trier's Vision* (2000), Actor
- *HotMen CoolBoyz* (2000), Producer
- *The Exhibited* (2000), Actor
- *D-Day* (2000), Director, Writer
- *100 Cameras: Capturing Lars von Trier's Vision* (2000), Actor
- *The Humiliated* (1998), Actor
- *The Kingdom II* (1998), Director, Screenplay
- *The Idiots* (1998), as Interviewer (voice) (uncredited) · Director, Screenplay, Director of Photography — Fi1m 54, [page](https://film.one/film/the-idiots.md)
- *Constance* (1998), Producer
- *Lars From 1 - 10* (1998), Actor
- *Tranceformer: A Portrait of Lars von Trier* (1997), Actor
- *Breaking the Waves* (1996), Director, Writer — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/breaking-the-waves.md)
- *The Kingdom* (1994), Director, Screenplay
- *The Kingdom* (1994), series, Director, Writer, Idea, Screenplay, Script, Creator
- *Eurotrash* (1993), series, Actor
- *Europa* (1991), as Jew · Director, Screenplay, Continuity
- *Medea* (1989), Director, Adaptation
- *Epidemic* (1987), as Lars von Trier / Dr. Mesmer · Director, Screenplay, Camera Operator, Editor
- *Sauna* (1986), Director
- *The Element of Crime* (1984), as Schmuck of Ages · Director, Screenplay — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/film/the-element-of-crime.md)
- *Images of Liberation* (1982), Director, Writer
- *Kaptajn Klyde og hans venner vender tilbage* (1980), Actor
- *Nocturne* (1980), Director, Writer
- *Menthe: The Benefactor* (1979), as The Driver · Director, Writer, Director of Photography, Editor
- *The Orchid Gardener* (1977), as Victor Morse · Writer, Director
- *A Flower* (1971), Director
- *Why Try to Escape from That Which You Know You Can't Escape From? Because You Are a Coward* (1970), Director, Writer
- *Clandestine Summer* (1969), series, as Lars
- *Goodbye, I'm Kurt* (1969), as Børge
- *Clandestine Summer* (1969), as Lars Johansen
- *Good Night, Dear* (1968), Director, Writer, Director of Photography, Editor
- *The Trip to Squash Land* (1967), Director
- *After*, Director, Writer
- *Études*, Director
- *Descendant - curated by Lars von Trier*, Actor

## Gallery

- ![Lars von Trier](https://film.one/media/person/86565/gallery-7af4e229634e.jpg) Lars von Trier — CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Oliver_Mark_-_Lars_von_Trier%2C_Copenhagen_2003_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Lars von Trier](https://film.one/media/person/86565/gallery-6c8fcffc316c.jpg) Lars von Trier — Siebbi, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Lars_von_Trier_2014_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Director Lars von Trier leaving the press conference of the film "Nymphomaniac" at the 2014 Berlin Film Festival.](https://film.one/media/person/86565/gallery-b5820056d98a.jpg) Director Lars von Trier leaving the press conference of the film "Nymphomaniac" at the 2014 Berlin Film Festival. — Siebbi, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Lars_von_Trier_2014.jpg/1280px-Lars_von_Trier_2014.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Lars von Trier](https://film.one/media/person/86565/gallery-6546b06b2ebb.jpg) Lars von Trier — CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Oliver_Mark_-_Lars_von_Trier%2C_Copenhagen_2003.jpg/1280px-Oliver_Mark_-_Lars_von_Trier%2C_Copenhagen_2003.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Lars von Trier](https://film.one/media/person/86565/gallery-5dae53d964ca.jpg) Lars von Trier — Image via TMDB
- ![Lars von Trier](https://film.one/media/person/86565/gallery-a301e9cf86e7.jpg) Lars von Trier — Image via TMDB
- ![Lars von Trier](https://film.one/media/person/86565/gallery-cf38b84ef3d0.jpg) Lars von Trier — Image via TMDB
- ![Lars von Trier at the Cannes Film Festival in 2000.](https://film.one/media/person/86565/gallery-8a0adc37d670.jpg) Lars von Trier at the Cannes Film Festival in 2000. — Rita Molnár, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/LarsVonTrier.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Lars von Trier](https://film.one/media/person/86565/gallery-6e7a2f28a958.jpg) Lars von Trier — Image via TMDB
- ![Lars von Trier](https://film.one/media/person/86565/gallery-4becb3ef4f90.jpg) Lars von Trier — Image via TMDB
- ![Lars von Trier](https://film.one/media/person/86565/gallery-60b0b0768e0f.jpg) Lars von Trier — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 2001: Best Original Song (nominated), for *I've Seen It All*

### Cannes Film Festival — 2 won

- 2000: Palme d'Or (won), for *Dancer in the Dark*
- 1996: Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix (won), for *Breaking the Waves*

### Other awards — 17 won, 11 nominated

- Bodil Honorary Award 2025: Bodil Honorary Award (won)
- Sonning Prize 2018: Sonning Prize (won)
- European Film Award for Best Film 2014: European Film Award for Best Film (nominated), for *Nymphomaniac Director's Cut*
- European Film Award – People's Choice Award for Best European Film 2014: European Film Award – People's Choice Award for Best European Film (nominated), for *Nymphomaniac Director's Cut*
- European Film Award for Best Director 2011: European Film Award for Best Director (nominated), for *Melancholia*
- European Film Award for Best Film 2011: European Film Award for Best Film (won), for *Melancholia*
- European Film Award for Best Screenwriter 2011: European Film Award for Best Screenwriter (nominated), for *Melancholia*
- European Film Award for Best Director 2009: European Film Award for Best Director (nominated), for *Antichrist*
- European Film Academy Achievement in World Cinema Award 2008: European Film Academy Achievement in World Cinema Award (won)
- Danish Dramatics' Honorary Award 2006: Danish Dramatics' Honorary Award (won)
- Konrad Wolf Prize 2004: Konrad Wolf Prize (won)
- Statens Kunstfonds hædersydelse 2004: Statens Kunstfonds hædersydelse (won)
- European Film Award for Best Director 2003: European Film Award for Best Director (nominated), for *Dogville*
- European Film Award for Best Documentary 2003: European Film Award for Best Documentary (nominated), for *The Five Obstructions*
- European Film Award for Best Film 2003: European Film Award for Best Film (nominated), for *Dogville*
- European Film Award for Best Screenwriter 2003: European Film Award for Best Screenwriter (nominated), for *Dogville*
- European Film Award - People's Choice Award for Best Director 2003: European Film Award - People's Choice Award for Best Director (nominated), for *Dogville*
- Goya Award for Best European Film 2001: Goya Award for Best European Film (won), for *Dancer in the Dark*
- European Film Award for Best Film 2000: European Film Award for Best Film (won), for *Dancer in the Dark*
- European Film Award - People's Choice Award for Best Director 2000: European Film Award - People's Choice Award for Best Director (won), for *Dancer in the Dark*
- European Film Award for Best Screenwriter 1998: European Film Award for Best Screenwriter (nominated), for *The Idiots*
- César Award for Best Foreign Film 1997: César Award for Best Foreign Film (won), for *Breaking the Waves*
- Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog 1997: Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog (won)
- Allen Award 1996: Allen Award (won)
- European Film Academy Critics Award 1996: European Film Academy Critics Award (won), for *Breaking the Waves*
- European Film Award for Best Film 1996: European Film Award for Best Film (won), for *Breaking the Waves*
- Kjeld Abell Prize 1993: Kjeld Abell Prize (won)
- Jury Prize 1991: Jury Prize (won), for *Europa*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/lars-von-trier