One of world cinema's most audacious provocateurs, Lars von Trier, has been pushing the boundaries of filmmaking since his debut, co-founding the Dogme 95 movement with Thomas Vinterberg.  The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society will honour his profound impact with a comprehensive retrospective of his feature films, alongside the acclaimed works that fall under the Dogme manifesto, as part of its January/February/March edition of the repertory Cine Fan programme.

Complementing von Trier's groundbreaking experiments in filmmaking is a selection of nine films that celebrates the remarkable achievements of Sophia Loren, Italy's most significant living actress, who captivates audiences worldwide with her earthy charisma and exceptional talent.

Lars von Trier, the Provocateur from Hell provides an extensive overview and analysis of the Danish enfant terrible, whose works consistently provoke global debate and controversy.  Notorious for defying narrative conventions and subverting social norms, von Trier's highly stylised, experimental cinema embodies beauty and despair, courting fervent admirers and critics alike.

Since winning the Technical Grand Prize with his debut, The Element of Crime, he has become a fixture at Cannes, earning accolades for Europa and Breaking the Waves and winning the prestigious Palme d'Or for Dancer in the Dark.  His actresses—Björk in Dancer in the Dark, Charlotte Gainsbourg in Antichrist, and Kirsten Dunst in Melancholia—have all received the Cannes Best Actress award.  Acclaimed yet often mired in controversy, his films such as Dogville, Nymphomaniac, and The House That Jack Built have faced severe criticism for their depictions of extreme sex and violence.

In 1995, von Trier and Vinterberg jointly launched the Dogme 95 manifesto, known as the 'Vow of Chastity', which set forth ten strict commandments rejecting the artifice of cinematic illusions while championing authenticity, realism, and the power of storytelling.  This six-film section includes Vinterberg's first Dogme work, The Celebration, and von Trier's second, The Idiots, both garnered attention at Cannes, bringing the movement to international prominence.  Also featured are Harmony Korine's experimental film Julien Donkey-Boy, the first American Dogme film, and Lone Scherfig's romantic comedy Italian for Beginners, which achieved critical acclaim and commercial success.

Sophia Loren, Glamour Italian Style showcases nine classic films, paying tribute to the 90-year-old actress, a living icon of grace, beauty, and immense talent.  At just twenty-five, Loren won a Cannes Best Actress award and became the first recipient of the Oscar for Best Actress for a performance in a non-English language film for her role as a mother in Two Women.  Too Bad She's Bad established Loren and Marcello Mastroianni as one of cinema's most magnetic on-screen duos, leading to collaborations with neorealist auteur Vittorio De Sica on enduring classics such as Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, Marriage Italian Style, and Sunflower.

The Back to the Screen section features Liliana Cavani's The Night Porter, which von Trier ranks among his favourites for its nuanced exploration of a sadomasochistic sexual relationship.  In The Hunt, Vinterberg moves beyond his Dogme rules while retaining the spirit of the movement in this gripping narrative, for which Mads Mikkelsen won the Cannes Best Actor award.

The complete programme and schedule for the January/February/March edition of Cine Fan are available at https://cinefan.hkiff.org.hk. Tickets for all screenings will be available at URBTIX outlets starting from 20 December.