Lars von Trier
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".
Photos
Movies (97)
Descendant - curated by Lars von Trier
2026 · Self
Being Bo Widerberg
2025 · Self
Creation of the Kingdom of Exodus
2022 · Self / Director / Devil
Lars von Trier: The Burden From Donald Duck
2020 · Lars von Trier
The Idiots Who Started The Party
2020 · Sig selv
La Casa De Jack
2018 · Director, Writer, Idea
Living the Light: Robby Müller
2018 · Self
Bergman: A Year in a Life
2018 · Self
Plankton Salesmen
2017 · Self (archive footage)
En invitation fra Lars von Trier
2015
Too Many Cooks
2014 · Pie
Arteholic
2014 · Self
Colors
2013 · Fuck Putas Edition
Ninfomanía: segunda parte
2013 · Director, Writer
Ninfomanía: primera parte
2013 · Director, Writer
Trespassing Bergman
2013 · Self
Side by Side
2012 · Self
A Royal Affair
2012 · Executive Producer, Script Supervisor
Melancolía
2011 · Director, Screenplay
Dimension
2010 · Director, Writer
… But Film Is My Mistress
2010 · Self
Anticristo
2009 · Director, Writer
Ernst-Hugo
2008 · Self
The Early Years: Erik Nietzsche Part 1
2007 · Narrator (voice), Screenplay
To Each His Own Cinema
2007 · The filmmaker (segment "Occupations"), Director
Cinema 16: European Short Films (U.S. Edition)
2007 · Director
Filmbyen: The New Mecca of Cinema
2007 · self
The Boss of It All
2006 · Narrator (uncredited), Writer, Director
Cinema 16: European Short Films (European Edition)
2006 · Director
The Road to Manderlay
2005 · Self - director
Le court des grands
2005 · Director
Tilbageblik på Idioterne
2005 · Self - director
A Conversation with Lars von Trier
2005 · Interviewee
Idiotic Filters
2005
Manderlay
2005 · Director, Writer, Camera Operator
Looking Back At The Idiots
2005
Dear Wendy
2005 · Screenplay
Dogville Confessions
2004 · Self
Visions of Europe
2004 · Producer
Kingdom Hospital
2004 · Writer
The South
2004 · Producer
Dogville: The Pilot
2003 · Director, Writer
The Five Obstructions
2003 · Self / Obstructor (segment "The Conversations"), Director, Writer, Idea
Obstruction #1 - The Perfect Human: Cuba
2003 · Idea
Inside Björk
2003 · Self
Trier, Kidman og Cannes
2003 · Self
Dogville
2003 · Director, Camera Operator, Writer
Screaming Men
2003 · Thanks
The Purified
2003 · Himself
Heart of the Festival
2002 · Self (archive footage)
Wag the Dogma
2001
Kayaking On The Top Of The World
2000 · Executive Producer
Italian for Beginners
2000 · Associate Producer
Von Trier's 100 Eyes
2000 · Self
The Name of This Film Is Dogme95
2000 · Self
Bailando en la Oscuridad
2000 · Director, Camera Operator, Writer, Lyricist
Playing the Fool
2000 · Self
100 Cameras: Capturing Lars von Trier's Vision
2000 · Self
The Exhibited
2000
FreeDogme
2000 · himself
100 Cameras: Capturing Lars von Trier's Vision
2000
D-Day
2000 · Director, Writer
The Copyist
1999 · Self
Dogma 95, a Serious Game?
1999 · Self
The Humiliated
1998
The Kingdom II
1998 · Self (uncredited), Director, Screenplay
The Idiots
1998 · Interviewer (voice) (uncredited), Director, Screenplay, Director of Photography
In Doctor von Trier's Laboratory: Back to the Magic of Cinema
1998 · Self
Lars From 1 - 10
1998
Ironie und Gottessuche - Das Kino des Lars von Trier
1998 · Self
Tranceformer: A Portrait of Lars von Trier
1997
Breaking the Waves
1996 · Director, Writer
I Am Curious, Film
1995 · Self
The Kingdom
1994 · Self (uncredited), Director, Screenplay
The Making of Europa
1991 · Self - Director
Europa
1991 · Jew, Director, Screenplay, Continuity
Trier's Element
1991 · Himself
Portrait of Lars von Trier
1991 · Himself
Medea
1989 · Director, Adaptation
Epidemic
1987 · Lars von Trier / Dr. Mesmer, Director, Screenplay, Camera Operator, Editor
Sauna
1986 · Director
Ennenstadt Europa – The Making of The Element of Crime
1984 · Self - Film Director
The Element of Crime
1984 · Schmuck of Ages, Director, Screenplay
Images of Liberation
1982 · Director, Writer
Kaptajn Klyde og hans venner vender tilbage
1980
Nocturne
1980 · Director, Writer
Menthe: The Benefactor
1979 · The Driver, Director, Writer, Director of Photography, Editor
The Orchid Gardener
1977 · 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
Goodbye, I'm Kurt
1969 · Børge
Clandestine Summer
1969 · Lars Johansen
Good Night, Dear
1968 · Director, Writer, Director of Photography, Editor
The Trip to Squash Land
1967 · Director
The Missing Films
· Himself
After
· Director, Writer
Études
· Director
TV shows (8)
Det danske filmmirakel
2026
La Historia del Cine
2011 · Self
Klovn
2005 · Lars von Trier, Writer
Hospital Kingdom
2004 · Story, Executive Producer, Creator
The Kingdom
1994 · Director, Writer, Idea, Screenplay, Script, Creator
Eurotrash
1993
Clandestine Summer
1969 · Lars
Grimme Award
1964 · Self