Cannes expels Von Trier for Hitler remarks

CANNES, France, (Reuters) – The Cannes film festival  expelled Danish director Lars Von Trier today for jokingly  calling himself a Nazi and Hitler sympathiser, leaving the  world’s biggest cinema showcase in a state of shock.
The expulsion, the first in 64 years, followed a hastily  convened meeting of its board of directors.
“Using the Cannes film festival to say such intolerable  things in front of the media is to tarnish its image,” said  Cannes film festival president Gilles Jacob.
“The festival had no choice but to react very strongly,” he  told a small group of reporters. He described the meeting as  “tense” and said the decision to withdraw Von Trier’s  accreditation was not unanimous.
Cannes director Thierry Fremaux added that Von Trier had  repeatedly apologised for his remarks and expressed contrition,  saying that he considered the Holocaust the worst ever crime. He  also said that his wife and children were Jewish.
Von Trier’s comments angered Jewish groups and caused U.S.  actress Kirsten Dunst to squirm with embarrassment beside him at  a press conference on Wednesday as he launched into a bizarre  monologue about his Jewish and German heritage.
The famously provocative 55-year-old, formerly a darling in  Cannes who won the top Palme d’Or award in 2000, quickly  apologised in a statement but it proved too little too late.
Von Trier told the LA Times in an interview published today that his behaviour had been “idiotic”, but added:
“The reason why it’s so big, especially here, is that France  has had a problematic relationship with Jews, and you (as an  interviewee) shouldn’t touch such things. But on the other hand,  being a cultural radical, you should touch such things.”
Jewish groups reacted angrily to the comments and welcomed  the Cannes decision.
“The only award that Lars Von Trier should receive is the  Cannes Film Festival ‘Bigot of the Year’,” said Rabbis Marvin  Hier and Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
“Please spare us all a meaningless apology written for him  by his publicists.”