Director Lars von Trier diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
Von Trier is in "good spirits and is being treated for his symptoms," announced his production company Zentropa
Lars von Trier, known for directing Melancholia and Dancer In The Dark, has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, reports Variety. The announcement came from Zentropa, the production company co-founded by von Trier and his long-time producer Peter Aalbæk.
“Lars is in good spirits and is being treated for his symptoms—and given treatment so he can complete Riget Exodus,” says the statement from Zentropa. “The illness means that Lars will only take part in interviews to a limited extent until the premiere later in the year.”
Currently, von Trier has been working on the anticipated third and final season of his Danish series The Kingdom Exodus aka Riget Exodus. Airing its first season in 1994, the show follows the staff and patients inside a neurosurgical ward of Copenhagen’s largest hospital. The final edition of the series is set to make its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in a few weeks.
Included in The Kingdom Exodus’ cast is Mikael Persbrandt, Lars Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, and Tuva Novotny. Alexander Skarsgård and David Dencik will be taking on guest-starring roles in the series. The show’s final season is being co-written by von Trier and Niels Vørsel.
Known for his often graphic and controversial films, von Trier broke through with his first feature film The Element Of Crime in 1984, earning him a nomination for the esteemed Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. He would go on to become a standing figure at Cannes, winning the Palme d’Or for Dancer In The Dark in 2000—including an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song. Marking his film eras by trilogies, the experimental director would later craft his Depression trilogy, consisting of the films Antichrist, Melancholia, and Nymphomaniac.