End of the World

Before Lars von Trier’s Melancholia premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, organizers declared the Danish filmmaker persona non grata. The decision was announced one day after the director jokingly told reporters he was a Nazi and sympathized with Adolf Hitler. Though Trier was banned from the festival, stars Kirsten...

By Victor Gonzalez

December 1, 2011

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "19274298",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17482312",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482310",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482313",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Before Lars von Trier’s Melancholia premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, organizers declared the Danish filmmaker persona non grata. The decision was announced one day after the director jokingly told reporters he was a Nazi and sympathized with Adolf Hitler. Though Trier was banned from the festival, stars Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Kiefer Sutherland were not. The film premiered to rave reviews, and Dunst took home the festival’s award for best actress. Dunst plays Justine, a successful young woman battling depression. Adding to the chaos of her life, Earth is in serious jeopardy of being wiped out by a rouge planet. The inspiration for the film struck Trier after battling depression himself. His therapist told him that people who are already depressed handle high-pressure situations better than most. Trier set out to make a film that explores the human condition rather than the end of the world.
Mon., Nov. 28, 7:30 p.m., 2011

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Miami, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.