Lars Von Trier's Depression Trilogy (Lecture)

Clinical depression is a topic Lars von Trier understands only too well, having been a sufferer for many years. His films Antichrist (film) (2009), Melancholia (2011) and Nymphomaniac(2013) together form the so-called ‘Depression Trilogy’, driven by complex female characters battling profound grief, despair, and loneliness. Von Trier relies on the creative process to work through his debilitating mental health issues, famously saying, “I’m afraid of everything in life, except filmmaking.” 

In this lecture, Mary Wild will psychoanalytically interpret the Depression Trilogy, with a special focus on the 1917 essay Mourning and Melancholia, in which Sigmund Freud distinguishes between healthy and pathological responses to loss. We will engage with interdisciplinary concepts to explore von Trier’s dark and compelling emotional landscapes, where courageous performers represent the internal life of the director, shining a light through the dense fog of depression.