Dancer in the Dark (2000)

7.9R140 minDirector: Lars von Trier

2000 film by Lars von Trier

Dancer in the Dark is a 2000 psychological tragedy musical film written and directed by Lars von Trier. It stars Icelandic musician Björk as a factory worker who has a degenerative eye condition and is saving for an operation to prevent her young son from suffering the same fate. Catherine Deneuve, David Morse, Cara Seymour, Peter Stormare, Siobhan Fallon Hogan and Joel Grey also star. The soundtrack, Selmasongs, was written mainly by Björk, with contributions from Mark Bell and some lyrics were written by von Trier and Sjón.

Dancer in the Dark is the final installment in von Trier's second trilogy, "Golden Heart", following Breaking the Waves (1996) and The Idiots (1998). It was an international co-production among companies based in thirteen European and North American countries and regions. Like the first installment, it was shot with a handheld camera inspired by Dogme 95.

Dancer in the Dark premiered at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival and won the Palme d'Or, along with the Best Actress Award for Björk. It received generally positive reviews, with Björk's performance being widely praised.

The song "I've Seen It All", performed and co-written by Björk, with Sjón and von Trier, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, but lost to "Things Have Changed" by Bob Dylan from Wonder Boys.

Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

FAQ

What is Dancer in the Dark about?
Dancer in the Dark (2000) — In small-town Washington state in 1964, Czechoslovakian immigrant Selma Jezková and her preteen son Gene live in a rented trailer owned by Bill and Linda Houston; Bill is the town sheriff. Selma also has a small group of friends, including her co-worker and primary confidante Kat
Is Dancer in the Dark based on a true story?
See the production background and source material details on the official Wikipedia article.
Is Dancer in the Dark scary?
Content rating: R. See the reviews tab for parental guidance and tone notes.