Suffering from Parkinson's disease

Lars von Trier receives help from care center

Director Lars von Trier suffers from Parkinson's disease and receives help from a care center in treating the illness.(Bild: APA/AFP/Valery HACHE)

Danish director Lars von Trier (68) is receiving help with the treatment of his Parkinson's disease from a care center. His production company Zentropa announced on social networks that he could receive the treatment and care that his condition requires there. 

It is a supplement to his own private accommodation. "Lars is doing well under the circumstances," explained Zentropa producer Louise Vesth.

Request for respect for privacy
Zentropa issued the brief statement in response to reports in Danish tabloid media that von Trier had been admitted to a nursing home north of Copenhagen.

However, Vesth's statements tend to indicate that he is not living there permanently, but continues to live at home, at least in part. They asked for his privacy to be respected.

Living with health problems
Von Trier announced in the summer of 2022 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. The slowly progressing disease causes cells in the brain that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine to die. This impedes the control of body movements and causes, among other things, the typical trembling of those affected.

The filmmaker ("Antichrist", "Melancholia") has been suffering from health problems for a long time. In 2018, he told the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" that he was constantly tired and could hardly stay awake.

His life had been marked by anxiety, panic attacks and depression since childhood. His psychotropic drugs, the Dane said at the time, were now in such high doses that his hands were constantly shaking, which meant he could hardly use his cell phone.