Press
release23.04.2003
Lars von Trier's latest
feature film "Dogville", produced by Vibeke Windeløv of Zentropa, has been
selected for the official competition at Cannes Film Festival (14-25 May
2003). Two films produced at the National Film School of Denmark "The
Pact" and "Araki" have also been invited to participate in programmes at
the Cannes Film Festival.
"Dogville"Trier's film is about the beautiful
fugitive, Grace (Nicole Kidman), who arrives in the isolated township of
Dogville, on the run from a team of gangsters. With some encouragement
from Tom (Paul Brettany), the self-appointed town spokesman, the community
agrees to hide her and in return, Grace agrees to work for them. However,
when a search sets in, the people of Dogville demand a better deal in
exchange for the risk of harbouring poor Grace and she learns the hard way
that in this town, goodness is relative.
The impressive cast in
"Dogville" includes Harriet Andersson, Lauren Bacall, Jean-Marc Barr, Paul
Bettany, Blair Brown, James Caan, Patricia Clarkson, Jeremy Davies, Ben
Gazzara, Philip Baker Hall, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, John Hurt,
Zeljko Ivanek, Udo Kier, Cleo King, Miles Purinton, Bill Raymond,
Chloë Sevigny, Shauna Shim and Stellan Skarsgård.
Lars von Trier, Nicole
Kidman and Paul Bettany will be present in Cannes to support the film.
"Dogville" will be released in Denmark on 4 June.
Trier received the Palme
d'Or in Cannes for his musical drama "Dancer in the Dark" (2000) giving
him the status of triple winner at Cannes, following awards for "Europa"
(1991) and "Breaking the Waves" (1996).
"The Pact" and
"Araki"Cinéfondation, the Cannes Film Festival competition
for film-school productions, has selected for their programme Heidi Maria
Faisst's graduation film "The Pact", about the siblings Johanne
and Jonas who have always been very attached to each other due to Jonas'
disability. When they miss the last ferry leaving a small island
and are forced to spend New Year's Eve with strangers, their safe and
secluded life is torn apart and their relationship is put into
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Produced by Elise
Lund Larsen at the National Film School of Denmark, the leads are Kim
Bodnia ("Pusher") and Bodil Jørgensen ("The Idiots"). Both director and
producer will be present in Cannes 22nd and 23rd May. "The Pact" will be
given a formal release in Denmark on 12 June together with five other
graduation films.
Anders Morgenthaler's
"Araki - The Killing of a Japanese Photographer", a National Film School
of Denmark animation production, won the Critics' Award at the 26th
Festival for Film Schools in Poitiers in March, thus qualifying it for
screening at Semaine Internationale de la Critique's programme in
Cannes. The film will be screened 22 May in Cannes. The director and the
producer, David Østerbøg, will be present.
"Araki", which was also
selected for the competition programme at the Berlin Film Festival 2003,
is about a psychotic who seeks to defend the honour of his deceased
sister, and singles out the extreme Japanese artist Araki as having caused
her death.
www.dogville.dkhttp://filmskolen.dk/araki/www.festival-cannes.comFestivalsTine Mosegaard, +45 3374 3464,
tinem@dfi.dkAnne Marie Kürstein, +45
3374 3609, kurstein@dfi.dk
Press and
informationVicki Synnott, +45 3374 3438, vickis@dfi.dk