Yes, Shia LaBeouf stole the show, aping from or homaging a 1995 press conference appearance by maverick footballer Eric Cantona today at the Berlin Film Festival. But aside from that prankster move—some say veering towards Joaquin Phoenix-like performance art—the press conference went off like it normally might have.
Without the presence of the usually controversial director Lars Von Trier, the press conference wasn’t that eventful. However, highlights included producer Louise Vesth strongly hinting we’ll see the premiere of “Nymphomaniac Part 2” in Cannes.
“We’re showing the first part here in the Berlinale, and we haven’t announced yet where we will show part two. So you will have to wait and see.” When journalists asked outright if we’ll see part two in Cannes, she said, “We don’t say that. But I guess you all saw the t-shirt, so…” alluding to the Cannes T-shirt Von Trier was sporting before the press conference that said “Persona Non Grata” (a reference to the year the filmmaker was banned from Cannes in 2011 for his Nazi-comments).
The uncensored Lars Von Trier director’s cut of both films veers toward five hours. What will we see in these longer versions?
“For me, the [extended version] goes deeper into the discussion that Lars has taken in this film. It has a slower pace,” Vesth said, “If you’ve seen both, you’ll see the sexual content is more explicit in the long version. But it’s not like it’s another story. All the material Lars wanted to use is in the long version. And therefore you will have a deeper feeling of the topics discussed in the film.”
As for semi-censoring Von Trier in the first place, she said, “He has done what we wanted to until now, so let’s hope that it will continue. Of course, this with the sexual topics made it a little difficult because of public rules. Sex is more difficult than violence. I don’t know why, but that’s how it is. But we have until now been able to do the films that he wants to, and thank God for that.”
Watch the full press conference here and we’ll add an embed as soon as it’s available. In case you missed LaBeouf’s highlight stunt from the press conference, you can watch it all right here. And our review of the director’s cut of “Nymphomaniac Part 1” can be found here.
Click here for all of our coverage from the 2014 Berlin Film Festival.