Lars Von Trier, the acclaimed Danish filmmaker, has been banned from the Cannes Film Festival following remarks that he sympathizes with Adolf Hitler, reports the Associated Press. Lars Von Trier was heavily criticised for describing himself as a "Nazi" during a press conference for his new movie 'Melancholia' yesterday (18th May 2011).
Lars Von Trier has now been asked to leave the festival, with a statement from the Cannes organisers noting that the director is now considered "persona non grata". It is believed to be the first time that a director has been banned from the festival, and the move comes ten years after Von Trier received the Palme d'Or for his movie 'Dancer in the Dark'. The statement did not specify whether the ban meant that Von Trier's 'Melancholia' will be ineligible for prizes at this year's festival. The filmmaker had stunned journalists at yesterday's conference, saying, "What can I say, I understand Hitler. I think he did some wrong things .yes absolutely, but I can see him sitting in his bunker.I think I understand the man".
Lars Von Trier issued an apology for his remarks late on Wednesday (17th May 2011), saying he hoped nobody was "hurt" by his comments, adding, "I am not anti-Semitic or racially prejudiced in any way, nor am I a Nazi".