159 mins - Denmark / Sweden / France / Netherlands / Norway / Iceland / Spain / United Kingdom 1996 - Dir: Lars von Trier Starring: Emily Watson, Stellan Skarsgård and Katrin Cartlidge In the early 1970s a naive young woman, Bess (Emily Watson), living in a small community on the north west coast of Scotland, falls in love with oil-rig worker and man-of-the-world Jan (Stellan Skarsgård). Despite local opposition they marry and live out a brief but intense love life. Jan returns to the rig, whilst Bess counts the days to his homecoming, sure that their love is made in heaven. When an accident renders Jan paralysed he is worried that Bess will cut herself off from normal life. Realising that he will be bedridden, he convinces her that she will aid his recovery by taking a lover and relating to him their sexual acts. There will be a video introduction from director Ari Aster (HEREDITARY, MIDSOMMAR) preceding both BREAKING THE WAVES and THE IDIOTS. The filmmaker shares his thoughts on the Danish provocateur and the films in question. Viewer Discretion Advised: BREAKING THE WAVES features scenes of a strong sexual nature. “This epic melodrama about love, faith, suffering and redemption is emotionally overwhelming.” Time Out
ENDURING PROVOCATIONS: THE FILMS OF LARS VON TRIER
Provocator. Prankster. Artist.
'Enduring Provocations’ looks back on the controversial career of Lars von Trier, having courted ardent fans and enemies in equal measure during his nearly four decades as a director.
Known for his restless technical innovation and rebellious approach to the genre, von Trier has confronted the taboo subjects of the day and the eternal existential problems of the human condition with the same thorny, troubled intelligence and puckish humour.
The season asks whether his cinema of narcissism and self-abasement still has the power to get under our skin. Is it the on-screen violence that is hard to stomach, or those troubling questions his films ask about human suffering, morality and the disorders of society?
BREAKING THE WAVES, THE IDIOTS, DOGVILLE and ANTICHRIST will be screened in September.
MELANCHOLIA, NYMPHOMANIAC VOLUME 1, NYMPHOMANIAC VOLUME 2 and THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT will be screened in October.
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