Lars von Trier’s Anti-Semitic Joke Caused ‘Melancholia’ To Lose The Palme D’Or In 2011 To ‘The Tree of Life’
When Terrence Malick won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2011 with “The Tree of Life,” it was one of the few times award juries actually recognized one of the best movies of the year. The runner-up? One of 2011’s best movies, Lars von Trier‘s visceral exploration of depression in “Melancholia.” Turns out that von Trier’s film was actually the jury’s favorite, until the Danish director gave a press conference with an anti-Semitic joke that made him lose the award.