After 11 weeks of shooting and an extensive postproduction period, Lars von Trier’s feature film Nymphomaniac is set for a late 2013 release. Flemish co-producer is Brussels production company Caviar. Several of the film’s scenes were also filmed on location in Flanders.
Nymphomaniac is a wild and poetical tale about the erotic journey of a woman from the moment she’s born until she is 50 years old. The principal character of the film, the self-acclaimed nymphomaniac Joe portrayed by actress Charlotte Gainsbourg, tells her own story in the film. On a cold winter night, the charming elderly bachelor Seligman, a role for Stellan Skarsgård, finds Joe all beaten up in a small alley. He takes her home to his flat and looks after her, whilst questioning her about her life. During the next eight chapters, Joe describes her extraordinary history, full of associations and transecting occurrences.
Ever since von Trier announced his new project, a lot of ink has been spilled on the matter. Besides the explicit story about a nymphomaniac containing various sexual references, the film can also boast with an impressive international ensemble cast including Shia LaBeouf, Jamie Bell, Uma Thurman and Willem Dafoe. A number of Flemish actors, i.e. Michaël Pas, Lien Van De Kelder and Ivan Pecnik, were taken on board for some of the smaller supporting roles.
International sales agent TrustNordisk presented the film at Berlin’s European Film Market last February. CEO Rikke Ennis: 'Nymphomaniac is in every way controversial and exciting and I’m convinced that the extensive material and time given allows us to produce a campaign that rocks the entire cinema landscape.’
Louise Vesth produced Nymphomaniac for Zentropa Entertainments, in co-production with Bettina Brokemper (Zentropa International Köln), Marianne Slot (Slot Machine) and Bert Hamelinck of Brussels-based production outfit Caviar (Clan, The Spiral, Madly in Love).
The film was made possible with the support of the VAF/Film Fund of Flemish Cultural Affairs Minister Joke Schauvliege, the Danish Film Institute, Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Eurimages, Deutscher Filmförderfonds, Nordic Film & TV Fond, CNC and the Belgian Tax Shelter, in cooperation with Film i Väst and with the participation of Arte, Canal+ and the West Danish Film Fund. The film also received development support through Europe’s MEDIA Programme.