Lars von Trier

Born 1956. In the book Danish Directors Mette Hjort and Ib Bondebjerg describe Trier as a “director who has contributed most to the renewal of Danish film. Of the directors who have drawn attention to Danish film internationally, he is the one who has had the greatest impact on the new 1990s generation, not least because of his central role in Dogme95.” His cinematic work ranges from avant garde films to innovative explorations of some of the classical film genres.

Jørgen Leth

Born 1937, Leth is a Danish poet and film director who is considered a leading figure in the development of experimental documentary film making. Most notable are Leth’s detailed, epic documentaries such as 1977’s A Sunday in Hell and 1967’s The Perfect Human. Leth frequently works as a sports commentator for Danish television and owns the film production company, Sunset Productions.

Leth has, among others, received the following awards:

• • 1971 the Oberhausen Hauptpreis
  • 1972 the Thomas Mann Award
  • 1983 the Danish Academy’s Special Prize
  • 1992 the Paul Hammerich Award
  • 1995 the Drachmann Award for literary oeuvre
  • 1996 the Danish Film Academy’s Robert Award
  • 1997 Prix de France for cultural reporting from France
  • 1999 the State Art Foundation’s Special Award
  • 2000 the Danish Film Academy’s Robert Award
  • 2004 Grand Prix for Best Feature Film at the Odense International Film Festival
  • Recipient of a life-long grant from the Danish State for his achievements in film-making

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