(Cover) - EN Movies - Lars von Trier made some controversial comments about Nazism during a Cannes press conference today.

The 55-year-old Danish moviemaker is at the Cannes International Film Festival to promote sci-fi thriller Melancholia, which is due for international release later this year and stars Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg.

During a press conference at the festival today the director caused shock with a response about his Germanic roots, although he did make it very clear with his delivery that he wasn't being serious.

"For a long time I thought I was a Jew and I was happy to be a Jew, then I met [Danish and Jewish director] Susanne Bier and I wasn't so happy. But then I found out I was actually a Nazi. My family were German. And that also gave me some pleasure. What can I say? I understand HitlerI sympathise with him a bit," he is quoted as saying.

"I don't mean I'm in favour of World War II and I'm not against Jews, not even Susanne Bier."

Lars also mused that Melancholia, which tells the story of two sisters whose relationship is challenged when a planet threatens to collide with Earth, "maybe cr*pthere's quite a big possibility that it might not be worth seeing". (C) Cover Media