Lars von Trier's production company announced last month that the Danish film director and screenwriter has Parkinson's disease. Speaking for the first time about his ailment after the announcement, the filmmaker said on Thursday that he feels quite well but will need time to get used the shaking.
The 66-year-old director's new supernatural TV series "The Kingdom Exodus" is screening at the Venice Film Festival. While his cast traveled to the canal city to promote the project, von Trier spoke to reporters via Zoom.
His production company announced last month that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's – a degenerative brain disorder that causes difficulty with walking, balance and coordination.
"I think I'm doing good, but the shaking will take some time to fight," von Trier said. "But (I feel) a little bit more stupid than I used to be, so that says a lot."
"The Kingdom Exodus" is the third and final installment in von Trier's cult TV show "The Kingdom," which was launched in the 1990s.
"What I didn't know was that I was already ill when we started filming with this Parkinson's that I've got and I had a rotten time, but I hope the actors didn't notice," he said.
"The Kingdom Exodus," which premieres at Venice as a five-hour film, will be launched in five episodes on Viaplay's platform and Danish broadcaster DR later this year.
"I didn't sit down and watch all the old ones. I think, I was trying to get rid of the ties from the old stuff and I only thought about the characters."
Von Trier's other works include sexually graphic films such as "Antichrist" and "Nymphomaniac," and the harrowing melodrama "Dancer in the Dark," starring Icelandic singer Bjork, for which he won the Golden Palm for best movie at Cannes in 2000.
In 2011, he was banned from Cannes for remarks about Adolf Hitler that many deemed offensive. He later said he was a recovering alcoholic and drug user. He was allowed to return to the Cannes festival in 2018.
