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Lars von Trier’s Zentropa Vows to Improve Work Environment Following Nine Sexual Harassment Claims

Zentropa CEO Anders Kjærhauge released an official statement saying the company will "create a set of guidelines for our working culture and working environment."
Lars von Trier Persona Non Grata
Lars Von Trier
Axel Schmidt/AP/REX/Shutterstock

Zentropa, the Danish production company co-founded by Lars von Trier, has released an official statement following sexual harassment allegations made by nine women who worked at the company. The claims were published in the Danish newspaper Politiken and mostly involve the company other co-founder Peter Aalbæk Jensen. The accusers say they were subject to “sexual harassment, degradation and bullying” while working at Zentropa.

The statement was written by Zentropa CEO Anders Kjærhauge and the company’s management team and published on ScreenDaily. According to the statement, “an agreement has been reached and the management will issue a set of guidelines for the company’s working environment henceforth. All employees are subject to these regulations and will be called upon to respect them.”

“Through dialogue with all our employees, we will encourage sincerity and frankness about personal boundaries and needs as well as respect for the boundaries and needs of others,” the statement continues. “That way we can create a broad and inclusive workplace. We wish to carry on in Zentropa’s spirit with respect for the individual.”

Read the official statement below), signed by Anders Kjærhauge, Rikke Ennis, Sisse Graum Jørgensen, and Louise Vesth/

Zentropa’s management and Peter Aalbæk Jensen have met regarding how Zentropa’s management wants the working environment and the social conditions to be at Zentropa. An agreement has been reached and the management will issue a set of guidelines for the company’s working environment henceforth. All employees are subject to these regulations and will be called upon to respect them.

We want to be a company with room for diversity where people are at liberty to be original and different. A place where structure and chaos go hand in hand and where community and hard work enables us to elevate film production into a league of its own.

It will not be a part of Zentropa’s culture to give or receive a smack as neither reward nor punishment, regardless whether all parties involved experience such actions as fun. The company culture at Zentropa will continue to be colourful and alternative, but we do not wish to violate anyone’s rights or insult anyone.

Through dialogue with all our employees, we will encourage sincerity and frankness about personal boundaries and needs as well as respect for the boundaries and needs of others. That way we can create a broad and inclusive workplace. We wish to carry on in Zentropa’s spirit with respect for the individual.

If anyone formerly, currently or in the future experiences that it is unpleasant to be at Zentropa on account of aspects, which pertains to the working environment or the working culture, we happily invite a dialogue about how we may improve or, if it already happened, how we could have been better at assuming responsibility in that particular incident. All of us have a responsibility and we will be much clearer about that moving forward.

Together with our employees and interns we will create a set of guidelines for our working culture and working environment so that it is clear to everyone what is acceptable and what is not.

We have no further comments at this time.

Jensen retired as Zentropa CEO in 2016 but still has 25% ownership of the company with von Trier. The company has most recently produced von Trier’s new movie, the serial killer drama “The House That Jack Built.”

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