SWC: Danish Director on Top Anti-Semites List

Trier: Not funny, just nasty
(photo credit: Mathrubhumi)

Some of the Neighbors Aren't So Nice Either

Going slightly off-topic here, or at least across the bridge. The Simon Wiesenthal Center's 2011 list of top anti-Israel/anti-Semitic slurs is out. Danish film maker Lars "von" Trier is in the #5 spot for his vocal admiration of Hitler and Albert Speer. His remarks got him booted out of Cannes in May of this year. The list is defined as follows:

-"For the last two years, The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a leading Jewish human rights NGO, has compiled a list of the top ten anti-Israel and anti-Semitic slurs. The list continues to reflect the growing global anti-Semitism and de-legitimization of Israel coming from mainstream voices. It does not include statements by terrorist organizations, the lunatic fringe, or the government of Iran. These citings should serve as a wake-up call to those who believe that such rants are the exclusive domain of Neo-Nazis and crackpots."

Trier has the dubiuos honour of coming in after the deservedly-fired Dior designer John Galliano. Galliano raved at Jews in a bar: “I love Hitler…People like you would be dead. Your mothers, your forefathers, would all be f****** gassed.”

Here are Trier's remarks as cited in the HuffPo:

-“I understand Hitler... He’s not what you would call a good guy, but yeah, I understand much about him and I sympathize with him a little bit. But come on, I’m not for the Second World War, and I’m not against Jews... I am of course, very much for Jews. No, not too much, because Israel is a pain in the ass… I’m very much for Speer. Albert Speer [Hitler’s Architect]… He was also maybe one of God’s best children… Okay, I’m a Nazi.”

A film blog notes that :

-"French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand -- whose department covers a good chunk of the festival's 20 million euro ($28.5 million) budget -- called von Trier's remarks 'disgraceful'.
'His remarks and the way he said them, this type of provocation, does not have a place in the festival or anywhere else for that matter,' he said.
'The only award that Lars von Trier should receive is the Cannes Film Festival 'Bigot of the Year',' echoed the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish rights group based in Los Angeles.

Trier later explained that his remarks were meant to be funny.
Did we miss the joke? Nah, don't think so.

by Chanah Shapira