The Lars von Trier Conversations – Volume One

»This book was born out of my curiosity about filmmaking and filmmakers.« In 2004, Georg Tiefenbach met editor Molly Malene Stensgaard, sound designer Per Streit, and costume designer Manon Rasmussen to talk about their work with writer and director Lars von Trier. It all began with a shared interest in exchanging ideas and led to comprehensive discussions about film as an art form and a technical medium: How are films made? What effect do they have on the audience? What understanding do filmmakers have of their own art and work? Lars von Trier has significantly developed contemporary film further since the 1980s. One of Trier’s special skills is to attract exceptional people to his team with whom he has enjoyed working again and again, with some of them even on all of his films. These conversations provide a deep insight into the collaborative work and personal relationships between Lars von Trier and his inner circle of filmmaking. The focus is on the discussion of Trier’s films from Breaking the Waves to Dogville. It is about the development from the naturalistic style of the Dogma films to the use of a studio stage with a narrator as voice-over. It is about the fundamental understanding of cinematic language and artistic creation. Making a film is a great collective effort where many different personalities come together to work towards a common goal that is shaped by everyone involved.