Beginning in the lates as a child actor working on Danish television series Secret Summer , von Trier's career has spanned more than five decades. Von Trier co-created the avant-garde filmmaking movement Dogme 95 alongside fellow director Thomas Vinterberg and co-founded the Danish film production company Zentropa , [ 13 ] [ 14 ] the films from which have sold more than million tickets and garnered eight Academy Award nominations.
Von Trier has been the subject of criticisms and controversies. Cannes Film Festival , in addition to awarding his films on numerous occasions, once listed him as persona non grata for making a Nazism joke during an interview.
In , The Element of Crime , von Trier's breakthrough film, received twelve awards at seven international festivals [ 24 ] including the Technical Grand Prize at Cannes , and a nomination for the Palme d'Or. Von Trier has referred to his films as falling into thematic and stylistic trilogies.
This pattern began with The Element of Crime , the first of the Europa trilogy , which illuminated traumatic periods in Europe both in the past and the future. It also includes Epidemic.
He completed the trilogy in with Europa released as Zentropa in the US , which won the Prix du Jury at the Cannes Film Festival , [ 28 ] and picked up awards at other major festivals.
