enda
Film

Breaking the Waves

Lars von Trier, Denmark, 1996

158 min.DK/Feature

In a small patriarchal community on Scotland's rugged Atlantic coast Bess is considered a good but simple-minded girl, who should not really marry Jan, her foreign oil-rig machinist friend. When Jan is physically disabled in an accident, she succumbs to his wishes of maintaining her sexual relationship with him by proxy. Exposing herself to physical abuse, Bess somehow retains her innocence and closeness to God.
Basic information Credits Music Materials
Original title Breaking the Waves
Danish title Breaking the Waves
Director Lars von Trier
Screenplay Lars von Trier, Peter Asmussen, David Pirie
Producer Peter Aalbæk Jensen, Vibeke Windeløv
Director of Photography Per Heegaard, Robby Müller, Jan Weincke
Editor Anders Refn
Sound Per Streit
Composer Joachim Holbek
Production designer Karl Juliusson
Casting Joyce Nettles
Appearance Emily Watson, Stellan Skarsgård, Katrin Cartlidge, Jean-Marc Barr
Production country Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Germany
Dialogue language English,Irish
Domestic distribution Zentropa Entertainments
International sales TrustNordisk
Technical info 4300 meter, 35 mm, 2,35:1 Scope, Kodak, Dolby, SRD
Danish theatrical release 05.07.1996
Cinemas Dagmar, Scala, Grand, Gladsaxe Bio, Værløse Bio, BioCity (Tåstrup) samt 10 biografer i provinsen
Danish rating Allowed for children over the age of 12
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Companies

Production company Zentropa Entertainments
Domestic distribution Zentropa Entertainments

Direction

Direction Lars von Trier
1st assistant director Morten Arnfred
Director: 2. unit Kristoffer Nyholm
Casting Joyce Nettles
Casting: Denmark Rie Hedegaard
Casting: extras, Scotland Anne Campbell
Casting: additional Ruth Tarko
Continuity Tómas Gislason
Continuity Linda Daae
Dialogue director Elspeth Macnaughton
Dialogue coach Elspeth Macnaughton

Script

Screenplay Lars von Trier
Screenplay Peter Asmussen
Screenplay David Pirie
Script consultant Kirsten Bonnén Rask
Script consultant Tómas Gislason
Script: translation Jonathan Sydenham
Script supervisor Tómas Gislason
Script supervisor Kirsten Bonnén Rask

Production

Producer Peter Aalbæk Jensen
Producer Vibeke Windeløv
Co-producer Axel Helgeland
Co-producer Rob Langestraat
Co-producer Marianne Slot
Co-producer Peter van Vogelpoel
Executive producer Lars Jönsson
Production supervisor: post-production Tove Jystrup
Production manager Leif Mohlin
Production manager Lene Nielsen
Production assistant: post-production Tine Grew Pfeiffer
P.A. to Mr. Jönsson Anna Anthony
P.A. to Joyce Nettles Louise Cross
P.A. to Ray Williams Peter Raeburn
Production assistant Casper Holm
Production assistant Nanna Mailand-Hansen
Production consultant: Scotland Christine Maclean
Location manager Morten Kleener
Location manager: Scotland Janet Riddoch
Location scout: Scotland Anthony Dod Mantle
Location scout: Scotland Peter Ovig Knudson

Cinematography

Cinematographer Per Heegaard
Cinematographer Robby Müller
Camera assistant Thomas Holm
Video assistant Steve Holtson
Video assistant Fredrik Kihl
Video assistant Morten Ziersen
Cinematographer: 2. unit Eric Kress
Camera operator Jean-Paul Meurisse
Camera assistant Per Fredrik Skiöld
First assistant camera: 2. unit Mads Thomsen
First assistant camera Birger Bohm
Cinematographer Jan Weincke

Stills

Still photographer Rolf Konow

Electrical dept.

Gaffer Leif Barney Fick
Gaffer Christopher Porter
Best boy Søren Johannes Meyer

Editing

Editor Anders Refn
Assistant editor Anders Johannes Bukh
Negative cutting Marianne Jerris

Music

Composer Joachim Holbek

Production design

Production designer Karl Juliusson
Set dresser Peter Grant
Assistant set dresser Jonas Alexander Arnby
Assistant set dresser Rasmus With
Set dresser Simone Grau Roney
Additional props: Scotland John Mark Knight

Wardrobe

Costume designer Manon Rasmussen
Seamstress Nini Mandal
Seamstress Nini Mandal

Makeup

Makeup artist Sanne Gravfort
Makeup artist Jennifer Jorfald
SFX makeup Morten Jacobsen
Makeup assistant Dorota Horonska

Sound

Sound designer Per Streit
Supervising sound editor Kristian Selin Eidnes Andersen
Recording engineer: 2. unit Klas Baggström
Recording engineer: "Siciliana" Lars A. Christensen
Dialogue editor Hans Møller
Foley artist Julien Naudin
Sound effect editor Peter Schultz
Boom operator Ad Stoop

Special effects

SFX Lars Kolding Andersen

Visual effects

Graphic design Morten Constantineanu Bak
Title design Henrik Jongdahl
Title sequence Henrik Jongdahl
Color timing Olivier Fontenay
Color timing Patrick Dreyfus

Stunt

Stunt coordinator Terry Forestal

Other credits

Expert: folk dance Else Hartzberg
Expert: churches Christina Mackay
Medical consultant Grethe Wejlgaard

Appearance

Bess Emily Watson
Jan Stellan Skarsgård
Dodo Katrin Cartlidge
Terry Jean-Marc Barr
Manden på trawleren Udo Kier
Dr. Richardson Adrian Rawlins
Præsten Jonathan Hackett
Moderen Sandra Voe
William Phil McCall
Pits Mikkel Gaup
Pim Roef Ragas
Sybilla Sarah Gudgon
Ordføreren Robert Robertson
Den ældste Desmond Reilly
Bedende mand 1 Iain Agnew
Bedende mand 2 Charles Kearney
Bedende mand 3 Steven Leach
Bedende mand 4 Ronald Simon
Ung sømand David Bateson
Mand, motorbåden Bob Docherty
Mand, fyret Owen Kavanagh
Mand, bussen Ray Jefferies
Radiooperatør Callum Cuthbertson
Dommer Finlay Welsh
Politibetjent Gavin Mitchell
Doktor, Glasgow David Gallacher
Sygeplejerske Dorte Rømer
Dreng 1 Anthony O'Donnel
Dreng 2 John Wark

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