Lars Von Trier was condemned by Cannes over Nazi Remarks in 2011

In the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, just a day after making controversial remarks in which he claimed to be a Nazi and appeared to sympathize with reviled Third Reich leader Adolf Hitler, Danish director Lars von Trier had been condemned by the Cannes Film Festival and banned from the annual European awards fest. He had gotten mostly positive reviews for his Kirsten Dunst-starring film, “Melancholia,” but the provocative director earned strong condemnation for a rambling, offensive press conference in which he made odd remarks about his thoughts on Hitler, Israel and being a Nazi. “The Board of Directors firmly condemns these comments and declares Lars von Trier a persona non grata at the Festival de Cannes, with effect immediately,” read an official statement dated 19 May 2011, released by the authorities.