By Jake Coyle, Film Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --Seven years after being banned by the Cannes Film Festival for jokingly calling himself a Nazi, Danish director Lars von Trier has been invited back to the French festival.
Von Trier was declared "persona non grata" by Cannes after expressing sympathy for Adolf Hitler in a 2011 press conference for his film "Melancholia." But Cannes on Thursday announced that von Trier's "The House That Jack Built" will play out of competition at next month's festival. The film stars Matt Dillon as a serial killer.
Von Trier has regularly been a figure of controversy in Cannes and elsewhere. In October, Icelandic singer Bjork said he sexually harassed her during the making of 2000's "Dancer in the Dark," which won Cannes' Palme d'Or. Von Trier has denied the allegations.
Thierry Fremaux has recently signaled that the festival might reinstitute von Trier. The Danish director apologized shortly after his comments in 2011, calling them "completely stupid." In response to a question about his heritage, von Trier said that he learned that he had German roots as well as Jewish. Von Trier said he "understands Hitler" and "I am a Nazi."
Cannes also said that Terry Gilliam's famously delayed, famously misfortunate "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote" will close the festival. The film, which stars Adam Driver and Stellan Skarsgard, has taken Gilliam two decades to make because of endless production problems, funding issues and legal woes.
The festival also announced several more additions to its prestigious competition lineup: "The Wild Pear," from Turkish director and previous Palme winner Nuri Bilge Ceylan; "Knife + Heart," by French filmmaker Yann Gonzalez; and "The Little One," by Kazakh filmmaker Sergei Dvortsevoy.
That brings the competition slate to 21 titles, three of which are directed by women. Cannes has in recent years been criticized for not selecting more films by female filmmakers.
The 71st annual Cannes Film Festival runs May 8-20.
Oscar and Emmy-Winning Composer Kris Bowers Joins Barking Owl For Advertising, Branded Content
Music, audio post and sonic branding house Barking Owl has taken on exclusive representation of Oscar and Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers for advertising and branded content.
Bowers’ recent film scores include The Wild Robot and Bob Marley: One Love, alongside acclaimed past works such as The Color Purple (2023), King Richard and Green Book. His contributions to television are equally impressive, with scores for hit series like Bridgerton, When They See Us, Dear White People, and his Daytime Emmy Award-winning score for The Snowy Day.
In addition to his work as a composer, Bowers is a visionary director. He recently took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for his directorial work on The Last Repair Shop. The emotionally touching short film spotlights four of the people responsible for repairing the musical instruments used by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The Last Repair Shop reflects the positive influence that musical instruments have on the youngsters who play them, and the adults in the LAUSD free repair service who keep them working and in tune.
Barking Owl CEO Kirkland Alexander Lynch said of Bowers, “His artistry, diversity of style and depth of storytelling bring an unparalleled edge to the work we create for global brands. His presence on our roster reflects our continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound and music in advertising.”
Johanna Cranitch, creative director, Barking Owl, added, “Kris first caught my attention when he released his record ‘Heroes + Misfits’ where he fused together his jazz sensibility with a deeply ingrained aptitude for melody, so beautifully.... Read More