Biography
Lars von Trier (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 10 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".
Directed
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Melancholia (2011) — Director
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Nymphomaniac: Vol. I (2013) — Director
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Nymphomaniac: Vol. II (2013) — Director
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The House That Jack Built (2018) — Director
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Antichrist (2009) — Director
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Dogville (2003) — Director
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Dancer in the Dark (2000) — Director
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Breaking the Waves (1996) — Director
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The Idiots (1998) — Director
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Manderlay (2005) — Director
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Europa (1991) — Director
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The Boss of It All (2006) — Director
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The Kingdom (1994) — Director
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The Element of Crime (1984) — Director
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The Five Obstructions (2003) — Director
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To Each His Own Cinema (2007) — Director
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Epidemic (1987) — Director
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Medea (1989) — Director
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The Kingdom (1994) — Director
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The Kingdom II (1998) — Director
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Nocturne (1980) — Director
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The Trip to Squash Land (1967) — Director
- Why Try to Escape from That Which You Know You Can't Escape From? Because You Are a Coward (1970) — Director
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D-Day (2000) — Director
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The Orchid Gardener (1977) — Director
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A Flower (1971) — Director
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Dogville: The Pilot (2003) — Director
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Menthe: The Benefactor (1979) — Director
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Good Night, Dear (1968) — Director
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Images of Liberation (1982) — Director
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Dimension (2010) — Director
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Le court des grands (2005) — Director
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Sauna (1986) — Director
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Cinema 16: European Short Films (European Edition) (2006) — Director
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Cinema 16: European Short Films (U.S. Edition) (2007) — Director
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After — Director
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Nocebo — Director
Also appeared in
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The Idiots (1998) — Interviewer (voice) (uncredited)
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Europa (1991) — Jew
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The Boss of It All (2006) — Narrator (uncredited)
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Side by Side (2012) — Self
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The Kingdom (1994) — Self (uncredited)
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The Element of Crime (1984) — Schmuck of Ages
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The Five Obstructions (2003) — Self / Obstructor (segment "The Conversations")
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To Each His Own Cinema (2007) — The filmmaker (segment "Occupations")
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Epidemic (1987) — Lars von Trier / Dr. Mesmer
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The Story of Film: An Odyssey (2011) — Self
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The Kingdom II (1998) — Self (uncredited)
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Bergman: A Year in a Life (2018) — Self
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Klovn (2005) — Lars von Trier
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Trespassing Bergman (2013) — Self
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Dogville Confessions (2004) — Self
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The Orchid Gardener (1977) — Victor Morse
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Menthe: The Benefactor (1979)
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Good Night, Dear (1968)
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… But Film Is My Mistress (2010) — Self
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The Early Years: Erik Nietzsche Part 1 (2007) — Narrator (voice)
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Eurotrash (1993)
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Von Trier's 100 Eyes (2000) — Self
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I Am Curious, Film (1995) — Self
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The Humiliated (1998)
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Living the Light: Robby Müller (2018) — Self
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Tranceformer: A Portrait of Lars von Trier (1997)
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The Purified (2003) — Himself
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Inside Björk (2003) — Self
- Lars From 1 - 10 (1998)
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The Name of This Film Is Dogme95 (2000) — Self
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Kaptajn Klyde og hans venner vender tilbage (1980)
- The Making of Europa (1991) — Self - Director
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Goodbye, I'm Kurt (1969) — Børge
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Being Bo Widerberg (2025) — Self
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Clandestine Summer (1969) — Lars
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Lars von Trier: The Burden From Donald Duck (2020) — Lars von Trier
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A Conversation with Lars von Trier (2005) — Interviewee
- Trier's Element (1991) — Himself
- Portrait of Lars von Trier (1991) — Himself
- In Doctor von Trier's Laboratory: Back to the Magic of Cinema (1998) — Self