Festival film set to divide audiences

For Immediate Release
18 JUNE 2009

Festival film set to divide audiences

Controversial Cannes film Antichrist has been secured for the NZ International Film Festival 2009 in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin.

A late confirmation to the programme, the film’s participation was not cemented until after the Auckland programme had been sent to print. An Auckland screening has been added to the schedule.

Starring Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg (winner of the Best Actress award), the film was the most controversial to be shown at Cannes this year. The film tells the story of a couple who retreat to their property in the woods to deal with the loss of their only child.

Festival Programmer Sandra Reid was present at the world premiere in Cannes. “Antichrist is certainly further proof of how Lars von Trier relishes provoking audiences. It is not for the faint of heart. Von Trier is a contemporary master - his work has consistently featured in our programmes and this is an opportunity for NZ audiences to make up their own minds about his most extreme and controversial work to date,” says Reid.

Lars von Trier has admitted that the film provided therapy after a two year wake of depression and describes it as “the most important film in my entire career”. As famous for his arrogance as for his filmmaking skills, he responded to adverse criticism in Cannes with the claim that he is “the greatest director in the world”.

The title is another coup for the Festival, which confirmed earlier this week that Jane Campion’s Bright Star, also fresh from its Cannes debut, will open the programme. The Festival commences in Auckland from 9 July. Wellington programmes are available from Friday 19 June with tickets on sale from Tuesday 23 June.

ENDS

© Scoop Media