Zentropa
IndustryMotion Picture
GenreAnimation, comedy, drama
Founded1992
FounderLars von Trier and Peter Aalbæk Jensen
HeadquartersHvidovre, Denmark
Key people
Anders Kjaerhauge (CEO)
ProductsFilm
Websitezentropa.dk

Zentropa, or Zentropa Entertainments, is a Danish film company started in 1992 by director Lars von Trier and producer Peter Aalbæk Jensen.[1] Zentropa is named after the train company Zentropa in the film Europa (1991), which started the collaboration between von Trier and Jensen.

History

It has produced over 70 feature films and has become the largest film production company in Scandinavia. It owns a number of subsidiary companies in Europe.[2] Zentropa is also responsible for creating a large studio complex called Filmbyen (Film City), where both Zentropa and many other film-related companies are located.[3]

Zentropa may be best known for creating the Dogme 95 movement, leading to such acclaimed films as Idioterne (1998), Festen (1998) and Mifunes sidste sang (1999).[4]

In 1998, von Trier made history by having his company Zentropa to be the world's first mainstream film company to produce hardcore pornographic films, under the division Puzzy Power. Three of these films, Constance (1998), Pink Prison (1999), and the adult/mainstream crossover-feature All About Anna (2005), were made primarily for a female audience and were extremely successful in Europe, with the first two being directly responsible for the legalising of pornography in Norway in March 2006.[5]

Women too like to see other people having sex. What they don't like is the endless close-ups of hammering bodyparts without a story. Von Trier is the first to have realised this and produced valuable quality porn films for women.

Stern No. 40, 27 September 2007[6]

Zentropa's initiative spearheaded a European wave of female-friendly porn films from directors such as Anna Span, Erika Lust and Petra Joy, while von Trier's company Zentropa was forced to abandon the experiment due to pressure from its English business partners.[7] In July 2009, women's magazine Cosmopolitan ranked Pink Prison as No. 1 in its Top Five of the best women's porn, calling it the "role model for the new porn-generation".[8]

Sexual harassment allegations

In November 2017, in the wake of the Me Too movement, nine women – all former employees at Zentropa – spoke of an "ingrained" culture of abuse at the studio. Several of those interviewed said that their treatment had prompted them to stop working in the film industry altogether.[9][10] Jensen, the company's co-founder, was specifically accused of sexual misconduct and sidelined from operations. An internal memo stated that he would no longer exercise "influence on the daily leadership of the company [and] will not partake in any management meetings."[11] According to von Trier, Jensen stepped down and passed to Anders Kjaerhauge as CEO of Zentropa[12] when the former's further allegations of harassment came to light.[13]

Selected productions

Work Year Director Notes
Michael Laudrup: A football player1993Jørgen LethDocumentary
Family Matters1993Susanne BierFeature
Pretty Boy (1993 film)1993Carsten SønderFeature
Bíódagar1994Friðrik Þór FriðrikssonFeature
The Kingdom1994Lars von TrierMiniseries
Á köldum klaka1995Friðrik Þór FriðrikssonFeature
Pan1995Henning CarlsenFeature
The Beast Within (1995 film)1995Carsten RudolfFeature
Love Me, Love Me Not (1995 film)1995Carsten SønderFeature
Carmen & Babyface1995Jon Bang CarlsenFeature
The Eighteenth1996Anders Rønnow KlarlundFeature
Harry & Sonja1996Björn RungeFeature
The Greatest Heroes1996Thomas VinterbergFeature
Breaking the waves1996Lars von TrierFeature
Portland1996Niels Arden OplevFeature
The Kingdom II1997Lars von TrierMiniseries
Credo1997Susanne BierFeature
The Last Viking1997Jesper W. NielsenFeature
Love Fools1998Leif MagnussonFeature
Constance1998Knud VesterskovFeature
I Wonder Who's Kissing You Now?1998Henning CarlsenFeature
Pink Prison1999Lisbeth LynghøftFeature
Possessed (1999 film)1999Anders Rønnow KlarlundFeature
A Summer Tale2000Ulf MalmrosFeature
Together2000Lukas MoodyssonFeature
The lady of Hamre2000Katrine WiedemannFeature
Miracle (2000 film)2000Natasha ArthyFeature
Ikingut2000Gísli Snær ErlingssonFeature
The King Is Alive2000Kristian LevringFeature
Italian for Beginners2000Lone ScherfigFeature
HotMen CoolBoyz2000Knud VesterskovFeature
The Dog Hotel 2000 Per Åhlin Animated feature
The Bench2000Per FlyFeature
Dancer in the dark2000Lars von TrierFeature
Foreign Fields2000Aage Rais-NordentoftFeature
D-Dag2001Lars von Trier, Kristian Levring, Søren Kragh-Jacobsen, Thomas VinterbergTV film
Chop Chop2001Niels Arden OplevFeature
One-Hand Clapping2001Gert FredholmFeature
Truly Human2001Åke SandgrenFeature
House of Hearts2002Elisabeth RygaardFeature
Minor Mishaps2002Annette K. OlesenFeature
Charlie Butterfly2002Dariusz SteinessFeature - Charlie Butterfly in the Danish Film Database
Dogville2003Lars von TrierFeature
Sea of Silence2003Stijn ConinxFeature
The Five Obstructions2003Lars von Trier and Jørgen LethFeature
Strings 2004 Anders Rønnow Klarlund Animated feature
South (2004 film)2004Martin KoolhovenFeature
Brothers2004Susanne BierFeature
When Children Play in the Sky2005Lorenzo HendelFeature - Den sidste åndemaner in the Danish Film Database
Manderlay2005Lars von TrierFeature
All About Anna2005Jessica NilssonFeature
Snuppet2006Martin Vrede NielsenFeature
The Boss of it All2006Lars von TrierFeature
Råzone2006Christian E. ChristiansenFeature
The Early Years: Erik Nietzsche Part 12007Jacob ThuesenFeature
At Night2007Christian E. ChristiansenShort fiction
Echo2007Anders MorgenthalerFeature
How to Get Rid of Others2007Anders Rønnow KlarlundFeature
Island of Lost Souls2007Nikolaj ArcelFeature
Little Soldier2008Annette K. OlesenFeature
Fear Me Not2008Kristian LevringFeature
Oneway-ticket to Korsør2008Gert FredholmFeature
Go with peace Jamil2008Omar ShargawiFeature
Zoomers2009Christian E. ChristiansenFeature
Metropia 2009 Tarik Saleh Animated feature
Mammoth2009Lukas MoodyssonFeature
Love & Rage (2009 film)2009Morten GieseFeature
The Blessing2009Heidi Maria FaisstFeature - The Blessing in the Danish Film Database
Antichrist2009Lars von TrierFeature
Klown2010Mikkel NørgaardFeature
Berik2010Daniel BorgmanShort fiction
Nothing's All Bad2010Mikkel Munch-FalsFeature
Donkeys2010Morag McKinnonFeature
Truth About Men2010Nikolaj ArcelFeature
In a Better World2010Susanne BierFeature; Won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film
A Family2010Pernille Fischer ChristensenFeature
The Woman That Dreamed About a Man2010Per FlyFeature
The Red Chapel2010Mads BrüggerDocumentary
Erotic Man2010Jørgen LethFeature - Erotic Man in the Danish Film Database
ID A2011Christian E. ChristiansenFeature
Love Is in the Air2011Simon StahoFeature
Vlogger 2011 Ricard Gras Machinima; produced as Zentropa International Spain
Rebounce2011Heidi Maria FaisstFeature
Melancholia2011Lars von TrierFeature
Perfect Sense2012David MackenzieFeature
Love Is All You Need2012Susanne BierFeature
The Secret Society of Fine Arts2012Anders Rønnow KlarlundFeature
A Royal Affair2012Nikolaj ArcelFeature
A Caretaker's Tale2012Katrine WiedemannFeature
Nymphomaniac2013Lars von TrierFeature
The Keeper of Lost Causes2013Mikkel NørgaardFeature - The Keeper of Lost Causes in the Danish Film Database
The Hunt2013Thomas VinterbergFeature
The Salvation2014Kristian LevringFeature
The Absent One (2014 film)2014Mikkel NørgaardFeature
On the Edge (2014 film)2014Christian E. ChristiansenFeature
A Second Chance2014Susanne BierFeature
Vitello Dugs a Hole 2015 Dorte Bengtson Animated short feature
The Model2015Mads MatthiesenFeature - The Model in the Danish Film Database
The Day Will Come 2016 Jesper W. Nielsen Feature
Vitello 2018 Dorte Bengtson Animated feature
The House That Jack Built2018Lars Von TrierFeature
Journal 64 2018 Christoffer Boe Feature
The Other Lamb2019Małgorzata SzumowskaFeature
Monty and the Street Party 2019 Anders Morgenthaler, Mikael Wulff Animated feature
Hope 2019 Maria Sødahl Feature
Sweat2020Magnus von HornFeature
Riders of Justice 2020 Anders Thomas Jensen Feature
Another Round 2020 Thomas Vinterberg Feature; Won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film
Rushed2021Vibeke MuasyaFeature
The Kingdom Exodus 2022 Lars Von Trier Miniseries
Forever 2022 Frelle Petersen Feature
Together 99 (Tillsammans 99) 2023 Lukas Moodysson Feature film
Families Like Ours TBA Thomas Vinterberg Miniseries
Just Like Beauty TBA TBA Feature

Subsidiaries

  • EF Rental
  • Electric Parc
  • Puzzy Power
  • Trust Film Sales
  • Zentropa Real
  • Zentropa Interaction
  • Zentropa Rekorder
  • Zentropa Klippegangen
  • Zentropa International Köln GmbH
  • Zentropa International Poland
  • Zentropa International Sweden

Awards

Zentropa won many awards and nominations from local ceremonies including Robert and Bodil, as well as two Academy Award for Best International Feature Film for In a Better World and Another Round, both were directed by critically acclaimed Dogme 95-competitors Susanne Bier and Thomas Vinterberg.

References

  1. Historical Dictionary of Scandinavian Cinema. Scarecrow Press. 31 August 2012. pp. 417–. ISBN 978-0-8108-5524-3.
  2. Angus Finney (10 October 2014). The International Film Business: A Market Guide Beyond Hollywood. Routledge. pp. 106–107. ISBN 978-1-136-29503-4.
  3. Anne Mette Lundtofte (13 May 2013). Zentropia. Gyldendal. pp. 74–. ISBN 978-87-02-14732-2.
  4. Palgrave Connect (Online Service) (11 December 2013). Behind the Screen: Inside European Production Cultures. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 229–. ISBN 978-1-137-28218-7.
  5. "Norwegian Media Authority none-censorship decision" (PDF). Retrieved 15 July 2010.
  6. Stern No. 40, 27 September 2007
  7. Thomas Vilhelm: Filmbyen (Ekstra Bladets Forlag, 2003, ISBN 978-87-7731-274-8), page 74
  8. Cosmopolitan (German edition), July 2009, page 30
  9. "Danish authorities investigating claims of sexual abuse at Lars von Trier's studio Zentropa". 13 November 2017.
  10. "Danish Authorities to Investigate Sexual Harassment Claims Against Zentropa Co-Founder Peter Aalbæk Jensen". 13 November 2017.
  11. Zentropa Sidelines Co-Founder Peter Aalbæk Jensen Amid Harassment Allegations, Elsa Keslassy, Variety, November 15, 2017
  12. Mitchell2022-05-15T17:00:00+01:00, Wendy. "The Euro 75: Zentropa (Denmark)". Screen. Retrieved 2023-02-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. "Lars von Trier producer: 'I'll stop slapping asses' in wake of #MeToo". the Guardian. 2018-05-10. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
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