Lars von Trier diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
Danish director Lars von Trier has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
His longtime producer Louise Vesth at Zentropa Entertainment announced the Melancholia director's diagnosis in a statement on Monday.
The statement read, "In agreement with Lars von Trier, we want to inform you that Lars was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease just before the summer holidays."
The producer insisted that von Trier, 66, would continue work on his upcoming series The Kingdom Exodus despite his diagnosis. According to Deadline, the third and final instalment of von Trier's cult classic 1990s series The Kingdom is due to premiere at the Venice Film Festival at the end of August.
Vesth continued in the statement, "In order to avoid any speculation about his health leading up to the premiere, Zentropa has sent out this short statement to the Danish press... Lars is in good spirits and is being treated for his symptoms and the work to complete The Kingdom Exodus continues as planned."
She also noted that due to his health, von Trier would not participate in many press opportunities for the show.
"The illness means that Lars will only take part in interviews to a very limited extent," the statement concluded. "Thank you for your understanding in this matter. There are no further comments."
Von Trier's movies include Breaking the Waves, Dancer in the Dark, Dogville, Antichrist, Nymphomaniac, and The House That Jack Built.
