November 12, 2017

Nine Women Allege ‘Sexual Harassment, Degradation and Bullying’ at Zentropa, Lars von Trier’s Production Company

Nine women have come forward to speak about their experiences with “sexual harassment, degradation and bullying” at Zentropa, the Danish production company co-founded by Lars von Trier. Many of the accusations center around Peter Aalbæk Jensen, the company’s other founder, who is “highlighted by several sources one of the main figures perpetuating the system of degradation.”

These women offered their accounts to Politiken, one of the oldest and most widely read newspapers in Denmark. One of them, Meta Louise Foldager Sørensen, worked on such films as “Antichrist” and “Melancholia” and claims that “I think that everyone who has been employed by Zentropa has been exposed to or witnessed certain things. Both sexually charged acts and bullying or ‘teasing’. All of this was an ingrained part of the culture.”

Former employees claim that Jensen “would grope their breasts time and again. Get close and start moaning while they were on the phone” and “even arranged several sexually degrading acts on stage at the company Christmas party in front of guests from the film industry.”

Von Trier and and Jensen formed Zentropa in 1992, eventually growing it into Scandinavia’s largest film-production company. It played a key role in the Dogme 95 movement and more recently produced “The Hunt,” “A Royal Affair,” and “Nymphomaniac,” among others.

“There have been plenty of times when I’ve been over the top or gone too far,” Jensen told the paper. “And I stand by that fully. But the question is whether you are an adored leader or not. And I am an adored leader.” Read the full report here.

Source: IndieWire film

0 Comments
Leave A Comment

Leave a Reply