Dancer in the Dark

Lars von Trier wrote and directed Dancer in the Dark (Turkish: Karanlıkta Dans), a psychological tragedy musical from 2000. An international co-production with Denmark, Sweden and Germany among its countries, it pairs Dogme 95-inspired handheld camerawork with the style of American musicals of the 1950s and 60s. It is the third and final film of von Trier's "Golden Heart" trilogy, after Breaking the Waves (1996) and The Idiots (1998). It won the Palme d'Or at Cannes.

At the centre is Selma Jezkova, a Czech immigrant working in a factory in America. Selma is losing her sight to a hereditary eye condition, and knowing her young son will inherit it, she saves every cent for his operation. Icelandic singer Björk plays Selma, with Catherine Deneuve, David Morse, Peter Stormare, Joel Grey, Jean-Marc Barr and Udo Kier also in the cast.

The soundtrack was released as the album Selmasongs; Björk wrote most of the music, and von Trier and Sjón supplied some lyrics. "I've Seen It All", performed by Björk and Thom Yorke, was nominated for the Best Original Song Oscar but lost to Bob Dylan's song from Wonder Boys. The film also won Björk the Best Actress prize at Cannes, and although critics were divided, her performance was widely praised.