Nicolas Winding Refn Recalls Near-Death Leaking Heart Experience at Cannes
- Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn delivered an emotional account of a near-death experience during a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival.
- Refn, who is making his feature film return after a 10-year hiatus, disclosed that the medical crisis involved what he described as a leaking heart.
- The director explained that following the discovery of the issue, he was informed that he might not survive.
Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn delivered an emotional account of a near-death experience during a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival. While discussing his latest project, the auteur revealed that he had died for 25 minutes approximately three years ago following a medical emergency.
Refn, who is making his feature film return after a 10-year hiatus, disclosed that the medical crisis involved what he described as a leaking heart
. The condition was reportedly discovered by accident
, leading to a period of intense medical uncertainty.
The director explained that following the discovery of the issue, he was informed that he might not survive. He noted that two weeks after receiving this news, he underwent surgery to address the condition.
A career at the end
The experience occurred during a period of significant professional and personal exhaustion for the filmmaker. Refn shared that the brush with death came at a time when he felt his creative life had reached its conclusion.
“Before I died, I had come to the end of my career because I didn’t have anything left in me,” he said. “So, there was nothing for me to do.”
Variety
To lighten the heavy moment, Refn joked about the nature of his recovery, suggesting that his surgeon was Tom Cruise and that he had been brought back to life using electricity.
The return to Cannes
The press conference served as a platform for his new film, Her Private Hell
. The production marks a significant milestone in Refn’s career, representing his first feature film in a decade.
The film has already garnered significant attention at the festival. According to reports from Variety, the screening of Her Private Hell
was met with a 7-minute ovation from the Cannes crowd.
Refn’s reflections on his survival were framed by a sense of gratitude for his renewed opportunity to engage with cinema. He concluded his remarks by questioning the rarity of such an occurrence, asking, How many people get a second chance?