Dancer in the Dark (2000)
Coming Out at 1 September 2000 in theaters.
“Danser i mørket”
Crime, Drama, Musical
Dancer in the Dark is musical melodrama film written and directed by Lars von Trier. It stars Icelandic musician Björk as a daydreaming immigrant factory worker who suffers from a degenerative eye condition and is saving up to pay for an operation to prevent her young son from suffering the same fate. Catherine Deneuve, David Morse, Peter Stormare, Cara Seymour and Joel Grey also star.
The soundtrack for the film, released as the album Selmasongs, was written mainly by Björk, but a number of songs featured contributions from Mark Bell and the lyrics were by von Trier and Sjón. Three songs from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music were also used in the film.
This is the third film in von Trier’s “Golden Heart Trilogy”; the other two films are Breaking the Waves (1996) and The Idiots (1998). The film was an international co-production among companies based in thirteen countries and regions: Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. It was shot with a handheld camera, and was somewhat inspired by a Dogme 95 look.
Dancer in the Dark premiered at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival to standing ovations and controversy, but was nonetheless awarded the Palme d’Or, along with the Best Actress award for Björk. The song “I’ve Seen It All”, with Thom Yorke, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song but lost to “Things Have Changed” by Bob Dylan from Wonder Boys. The film polarized critics, with some deriding it as melodramatic and others lauding it as highly moving and innovative. The film later appeared on multiple lists of the best films of the 2000s.
Director: Lars von Trier
Writer: Lars von Trier
Stars: Björk, Catherine Deneuve, David Morse, Peter Stormare, Joel Grey, Cara Seymour, Vladica Kostic
Cast:
| Björk | … | Selma Jezkova |
| Catherine Deneuve | … | Kathy |
| David Morse | … | Bill Houston |
| Peter Stormare | … | Jeff |
| Joel Grey | … | Oldrich Novy |
| Cara Seymour | … | Linda Houston |
| Vladica Kostic | … | Gene Jezkova |
| Jean-Marc Barr | … | Norman |
| Vincent Paterson | … | Samuel |
| Siobhan Fallon Hogan | … | Brenda |
| Zeljko Ivanek | … | District Attorney |
| Udo Kier | … | Dr. Porkorny |
| Jens Albinus | … | Morty |
| Reathel Bean | … | Judge |
| Mette Berggreen | … | Receptionist |
| Lars Michael Dinesen | … | Defense Attorney / Dancer |
| Katrine Falkenberg | … | Suzan / Dancer |
| Michael Flessas | … | Angry Man |
| John Randolph Jones | … | Detective |
| Noah Lazarus | … | Officer of the Court / Dancer |
| Sheldon Litt | … | Visitor |
| Andrew Lucre | … | Clerk of Court / Dancer |
| John Martinus | … | Chairman / Dancer |
| Luke Reilly | … | New Defense Council |
| T.J. Rizzo | … | Boris / Dancer |
| Stellan Skarsgård | … | Doctor |
| Sean-Michael Smith | … | Person in Doorway |
| Paprika Steen | … | Woman on Night Shift |
| Eric Voge | … | Officer |
| Nick Wolf | … | Man with Hood |
| Timm Zimmermann | … | Guard / Dancer |
| Al Agami | … | Dancer |
| Alex Mouro | … | Dancer |
| Alexander Arli | … | Dancer |
| Allan Gyldenkærne | … | Dancer |
| Ami Eklöf-Annell | … | Dancer |
| Ana Christine Broström | … | Dancer |
| Anders Tärneberg | … | Dancer |
| Anders Thorhauge | … | Dancer |
| Anders-Peter Torsleff Hansen | … | Dancer |
| Ann Crosset | … | Dancer |
| Anna David | … | Dancer |
| Anna Norberg | … | Dancer |
| Anna Rosenberg | … | Dancer |
| Annette Lindholm | … | Dancer |
| Anthony Ajoise Olufemi Jacob | … | Dancer |
| Birgitte Skands | … | Dancer |
| Bjorn Ahlander | … | Dancer |
| Bo Westerholm | … | Dancer |
| Bobo Eriksson | … | Dancer |
| Britt Bendixen | … | Dancer |
| Carl Johan De Neergaard | … | Dancer |
| Carol Linda Nielsen | … | Dancer |
| Claus Berenhard | … | Dancer |
| Cristian Valle | … | Dancer |
| Diana G.L. Watson | … | Dancer |
| Ed Hickok | … | Dancer |
| Edvin Karsson | … | Dancer |
| Eli Stalhand | … | Dancer |
| Elin Johansson | … | Dancer |
| Emilie Bendz | … | Dancer |
| Erik Dammann | … | Dancer |
| Erik Drugge | … | Dancer |
| Fredrik Börgesson | … | Dancer |
| Frederik Mondrup | … | Dancer |
| Marianne Bengtsson | … | Dancer |
| Karoliina Heiskanen | … | Dancer |
| Troels Asmussen | … | Dancer |
| Caroline Sascha Cogez | … | Prison Guard – Serving Selma Jezkova’s last meal |
| Rikke Lylloff | … | Dancer |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia