Personal life Lars von Trier

1 personal life

1.1 family
1.2 political , religious views
1.3 mental health

personal life
family

in 1989, von trier s mother told him on deathbed man von trier thought biological father not, , result of liaison had former employer, fritz michael hartmann (1909–2000), descended long line of german-speaking, roman catholic classical musicians. hartmann s grandfather emil hartmann, great grandfather j. p. e. hartmann, uncles included niels gade , johan ernst hartmann, , niels viggo bentzon cousin. stated did give son artistic genes .

until point thought had jewish background. m more of nazi. believe biological father s german family went 2 further generations. before died, mother told me happy son of other man. said foster father had had no goals , no strength. loving man. , sad revelation. , feel manipulated when turn out creative. if d known mother had plan, have become else. have shown her. slut!

during german occupation of denmark, von trier s supposed father fritz michael hartmann worked civil servant , joined resistance group, frit danmark, actively counteracting pro-german , pro-nazi colleagues in department. member of infiltrative resistance group hartmann s colleague viggo kampmann, later become prime minister of denmark. after von trier had had 4 awkward meetings biological father, hartmann refused further contact.

political , religious views

von trier s mother considered herself communist, while father social democrat. both committed nudists, , von trier went on several childhood holidays nudist camps. parents regarded disciplining of children reactionary. has noted brought in atheist family, , although ulf trier jewish, not religious. parents did not allow room in household feelings, religion, or enjoyment, , refused make rules children, complex effects upon von trier s personality , development.

in 2005 interview die zeit, von trier said, don t know if m catholic really. m not. denmark protestant country. perhaps turned catholic piss off few of countrymen.

in 2009, said, m bad catholic. in fact m becoming more , more of atheist.

mental health

von trier periodically suffers depression, , various fears , phobias, including intense fear of flying. fear places severe constraints on him , crew, necessitating virtually of films shot in either denmark or sweden. quipped in interview, basically, m afraid of in life, except film making.

on numerous occasions, von trier has stated suffers occasional depression renders him incapable of performing work , unable fulfill social obligations.