The Humiliated

In the spring of 1997, in preparation for making The Idiots, Danish director Lars von Trier asked fellow filmmaker Jesper Jargil to make screen tests of individual actors. Jargil agreed, on the condition that he could be present during the entire shoot of The Idiots. The documentary that resulted is The Humiliated, a fascinating account of the making of that controversial film that offers unique insight into Von Trier’s methods. The director drives himself and his actors to extremes. Von Trier’s doubts and dilemmas are clear from a video diary that he taped himself and that Jargil was allowed to use for his documentary. We also see scenes Von Trier made for The Idiots that were ultimately discarded on the cutting table. Most striking is Von Trier’s free and completely idiosyncratic way of dealing with his cast and crew. He is alternately strict, sarcastic, sensitive, detached and emotional, creating an alienating atmosphere on the set, which to him is apparently a prerequisite for a successful film. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)