Epidemic (1988)

Directed by

Lars von Trier

Writing credits

Niels Vorsel
Lars von Trier

Cast

Allan De Waal
Ole Ernst
Michael Gelting
Colin Gilder
Svend Ali Hamann
Ib Hansen
Anja Hemmingsen
Kirsten Hemmingsen
Cæcilia Holbek Trier
Gert Holbek
Claes Kastholm Hansen
Udo Kier
Jan Kornum Larsen
Joergen Christian Krueff
Gitte Lind
Leif Magnusson
Gunner Ottesen
Susanne Ottesen
Lennart Pasborg
Leif Sabro
Tony Shine
Michael Simpson
Mik Skov
Thorkild Toennesen
Olaf Ussing
Niels Vorsel
Lars von Trier

Original music by

Peter Bach

Non-original music by

Richard Wagner (from opera "Tannhäuser")

Cinematography by

Henning Bendtsen

Film Editing by

Thomas Krag
Lars von Trier

Production Design by

Sren G. Henriksen
Christian Krueff
Gitte Lind

Runtime UK:106
Denmark
Language Danish
color

STORY

A film director (played by Trier himself) and a screenwriter lose 18 months of work when a script suddenly disappears from the screening of their computer. Undaunted, over the next few days they research and write a new story about an epidemic which sweeps the world. But they remain unaware that at the same time a real plague is closing around them. The story of the two filmmakers and their work on the project is intercut with scenes from the film they have in mind: a story of an idealistic epidemiologist, who ventures out from the city sealed -off from the threating plague in the hope of helping to fight the illness. What he doesn't realise is that he is carrying the virus around in his doctor's bag. "Epidemic" ends in disaster when the filmmakers present their ideas to the producer in a very unexpected way...

"A coincidence of the fate can often be so sinister and fantastic in character that one may be tempted to draw apparently logical but actually unfounded conclusions. The fact that an actual epidemic was approaching during these five days in course of which the screenplay "Epidemic" was created and written, an and around this apartment, and that is awful outbreak and the script completion coincied is one of these coincidences" says the director...