Lars Von Trier starts his “I understand Hitler” number on minute 35 of his press conference at Cannes Film Festival.
There is obvious awkwardness and discomfort among the attendees. Well, sort of. The members of the panel go from stone-faced to nodding and even smiling (nervously, yes, but smiling, nonetheless). There are a couple of laughs from the audience as he tries to crack a joke. All of this while Von Trier is sympathizing with Hitler, and finishes that topic with a conclusive “Ok, I am a Nazi.”
Wait. That’s not the fascinating part. This is: nobody has the decency to walk out and leave the schmuck speaking by himself.
Mixing Memory and Desire 