The Idiots

Idioterne

K16

Genre

Drama

Director

Lars von Trier

Run time

1h 57min

Cast

Bodil Jørgensen, Jens Albinus, Anne Louise Hassing, Troels Lyby, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Paprika Steen

The modern welfare state is so rationally well-organised that special effort is required if you want to throw off the traces and let your instincts run riot. In Lars von Trier's tragi-comedy a group of young men and women turn their backs on established society and form a commune in order to cultivate their "inner idiots". They provoke the people around them and themselves by pretending to be retarded. But is there more to their antics than casual role-playing? Where does pretence cease and reality begin? Only one member of the group, naïve, emotionally unsullied Karen, manages with bravery and single-mindedness to turn the game into deadly earnest.

Genre

Drama

Director

Lars von Trier

Run time

1h 57min

Cast

Bodil Jørgensen, Jens Albinus, Anne Louise Hassing, Troels Lyby, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Paprika Steen

The modern welfare state is so rationally well-organised that special effort is required if you want to throw off the traces and let your instincts run riot. In Lars von Trier's tragi-comedy a group of young men and women turn their backs on established society and form a commune in order to cultivate their "inner idiots". They provoke the people around them and themselves by pretending to be retarded. But is there more to their antics than casual role-playing? Where does pretence cease and reality begin? Only one member of the group, naïve, emotionally unsullied Karen, manages with bravery and single-mindedness to turn the game into deadly earnest.

Info

Rating

Under 16 Not Allowed

Production year

1998

Global distributor

October Films

Local distributor

Estinfilm OÜ

In cinema

1/1/1999