Friday Matinee

Dancer in the Dark

Director Lars von Trier (Breaking the Waves) delivers a provocative mix of drama and musical theater in this acclaimed movie that won both the Palme d’Or for Best Picture and the Best Female Performance award (for lead actress Björk) at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. Björk is Selma, a factory worker in rural America and single mother who is losing her eyesight from a hereditary disease. Determined to protect her 10-year-old son from the same fate, Selma is saving money to get him an operation. In the evenings, Selma escapes into a world where “nothing dreadful ever happens,” rehearsing for a production of The Sound of Music with her best friend, Kathy (Catherine Deneuve). But when a neighbor (David Morse) betrays her trust, Selma’s life spirals out of control. The lines between reality and fantasy blur, and Selma begins to believe that her life has actually become a Hollywood musical – as she inexorably heads toward the film’s unforgettable finale. (Fine Fine Features)