Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Fremaux on Thursday talked about his relationship with Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier during his annual presentation of the fest’s competition and other lineup.
He was asked by a journalist what he thought when von Trier wore a T-shirt saying “Persona non grata” at the Berlin festival in February, which screened Nymphomaniac: Volume 1. The shirt was a reference to what Cannes organizers called the controversial director after he called himself a Nazi and expressed sympathy for Hitler during a press conference on the Croisette in 2011.
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Fremaux said Thursday that he called von Trier after his Berlin appearance and asked him if he could also get such a T-shirt. He added that the filmmaker told him he was glad Fremaux took the stunt as a joke and promised to send him one.
However, Fremaux told the Cannes press conference that he was still waiting for the T-shirt.
Von Trier wore the T-shirt in Berlin but continued the silence that he has displayed since his unpopular Cannes comments. Late last year, there had been some talk that the second part of Nymphomaniac could screen in Cannes. Fremaux said back then that the Danish director was welcome back to the festival. “You can trust Lars von Trier to make a big comeback one day,” he said.
