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{{Short description|Danish film company}}
{{about|the film company|the 1991 film known as Zentropa in North America|Europa (1991 film)}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Zentropa
| logo = Zentropa Entertainments logo.jpg
| logo_size = 140px
| type =
| slogan =
| foundation = 1992
| founder = [[Lars von Trier]] and [[Peter Aalbæk Jensen]]
| location = [[Hvidovre]], [[Denmark]]
| key_people = Anders Kjaerhauge (CEO)
| num_employees =
| parent =
| industry = [[Motion Picture]]
| genre = [[Animation]], [[Comedy film|comedy]], [[Drama (film and television)|drama]]
| products = [[Film]]
| revenue =
| operating profit =
| website = {{URL|zentropa.dk}}
}}
'''Zentropa''', or '''Zentropa Entertainments''', is a Danish film company started in 1992 by director [[Lars von Trier]] and producer [[Peter Aalbæk Jensen]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Historical Dictionary of Scandinavian Cinema |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ae4QqlUDt9wC&pg=PA417 |date=31 August 2012 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=978-0-8108-5524-3 |pages=417–}}</ref> Zentropa is named after the train company Zentropa in the film ''[[Europa (1991 film)|Europa]]'' (1991), which started the collaboration between von Trier and Jensen.
== History ==
It has produced over 70 feature films and has become the largest film production company in Scandinavia. It owns a number of subsidiary companies in Europe.<ref name="Finney2014">{{cite book |author=Angus Finney |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_vvDBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA107 |title=The International Film Business: A Market Guide Beyond Hollywood |date=10 October 2014 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-29503-4 |pages=106–107}}</ref> Zentropa is also responsible for creating a large studio complex called ''[[Filmbyen]]'' (Film City), where both Zentropa and many other film-related companies are located.<ref name="Lundtofte2013">{{cite book |author=Anne Mette Lundtofte |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=80CX9uRCRqIC&pg=PT74 |title=Zentropia |date=13 May 2013 |publisher=Gyldendal |isbn=978-87-02-14732-2 |pages=74–}}</ref>
Zentropa may be best known for creating the [[Dogme 95]] movement, leading to such acclaimed films as ''[[Idioterne]]'' (1998), ''[[Festen]]'' (1998) and ''[[Mifunes sidste sang]]'' (1999).<ref name="Service)2013">{{cite book |author=Palgrave Connect (Online Service) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nkKvAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA229 |title=Behind the Screen: Inside European Production Cultures |date=11 December 2013 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-1-137-28218-7 |pages=229–}}</ref>
| ''[[Stern (magazine)|Stern]]'' No. 40, 27 September 2007<ref>''Stern'' No. 40, 27 September 2007</ref>
}}Zentropa's initiative spearheaded a European wave of female-friendly porn films from directors such as [[Anna Span]], [[Erika Lust]]  and [[Petra Joy]], while von Trier's company Zentropa was forced to abandon the experiment  due to pressure from its English business partners.<ref>Thomas Vilhelm: ''Filmbyen'' (Ekstra Bladets Forlag, 2003, {{ISBN|978-87-7731-274-8}}), page 74</ref> In July 2009, women's magazine ''[[Cosmopolitan (magazine)|Cosmopolitan]]'' ranked ''Pink Prison'' as No. 1 in its Top Five of the best women's porn, calling it the "role model for the new porn-generation".<ref>''Cosmopolitan'' (German edition), July 2009, page 30</ref>
== Sexual harassment allegations ==
In November 2017, in the wake of the [[Me Too movement]], nine women – all former employees at Zentropa – spoke of an "ingrained" culture of abuse at the studio. Several of those interviewed said that their treatment had prompted them to stop working in the film industry altogether.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/nov/13/nine-women-allege-sexual-harassment-and-bullying-at-lars-von-triers-production-firm|title = Danish authorities investigating claims of sexual abuse at Lars von Trier's studio Zentropa|date = 13 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/11/danish-authorities-allegations-peter-aalbaek-jensen-zentropa-1202206832/|title = Danish Authorities to Investigate Sexual Harassment Claims Against Zentropa Co-Founder Peter Aalbæk Jensen|date = 13 November 2017}}</ref> Jensen, the company's co-founder, was specifically accused of sexual misconduct and sidelined from operations. An internal memo stated that he would no longer exercise "influence on the daily leadership of the company [and] will not partake in any management meetings."<ref>[https://variety.com/2017/film/news/zentropa-sidelines-peter-aalbaek-jensen-sexual-harassment-1202615496/ Zentropa Sidelines Co-Founder Peter Aalbæk Jensen Amid Harassment Allegations, Elsa Keslassy, ''Variety'', November 15, 2017]</ref> According to von Trier, Jensen stepped down and passed to Anders Kjaerhauge as CEO of Zentropa<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mitchell2022-05-15T17:00:00+01:00 |first=Wendy |title=The Euro 75: Zentropa (Denmark) |url=https://www.screendaily.com/features/the-euro-75-zentropa-denmark/5170371.article |access-date=2023-02-23 |website=Screen |language=en}}</ref> when the former's further allegations of harassment came to light.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-05-10 |title=Lars von Trier producer: 'I'll stop slapping asses' in wake of #MeToo |url=http://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/may/10/lars-von-trier-producer-peter-aalbaek-jensen-stop-slapping-asses |access-date=2022-09-02 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref>
== Selected productions ==
{{Incomplete list|date=November 2022}}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! scope="col" | Work
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Director
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| ''[[Michael Laudrup: A football player]]'' || 1993 || Jørgen Leth || Documentary
|-
| ''[[Family Matters (1993 film)|Family Matters]]'' || 1993 || Susanne Bier || Feature
|-
| ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Pretty Boy (1993 film)|da|3=Smukke dreng}}'' || 1993 || Carsten Sønder || Feature
|-
| ''[[Bíódagar]]'' || 1994 || Friðrik Þór Friðriksson || Feature
|-
| ''[[The Kingdom (TV miniseries)|The Kingdom]]'' || 1994 || Lars von Trier || Miniseries
|-
| ''[[Á köldum klaka]]'' || 1995 || [[Friðrik Þór Friðriksson]] || Feature
|-
| ''[[Pan (1995 film)|Pan]]'' || 1995 || [[Henning Carlsen]] || Feature
|-
| ''{{Interlanguage link multi|The Beast Within (1995 film)|da|3=Menneskedyret}}'' || 1995 || [[Carsten Rudolf]]|| Feature
|-
| ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Love Me, Love Me Not (1995 film)|da|3=Elsker, elsker ikke (film fra 1995)}}'' || 1995 || [[Carsten Sønder]]|| Feature
|-
| ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Carmen & Babyface|da}}'' || 1995 || {{Interlanguage link multi|Jon Bang Carlsen|da}} || Feature
|-
| ''[[The Eighteenth]]'' || 1996 || Anders Rønnow Klarlund || Feature
|-
| ''[[Harry & Sonja]]'' || 1996 || [[Björn Runge]] || Feature
|-
| ''[[The Greatest Heroes]]'' || 1996 || Thomas Vinterberg || Feature
|-
| ''[[Breaking the waves]]'' || 1996 || Lars von Trier || Feature
|-
| ''[[Portland (1996 film)|Portland]]'' || 1996 || Niels Arden Oplev || Feature
|-
| ''[[The Kingdom II]]'' || 1997 || Lars von Trier || Miniseries
|-
| ''[[Credo (1997 film)|Credo]]'' || 1997 || Susanne Bier || Feature
|-
| ''[[The Last Viking (film)|The Last Viking]]'' || 1997 || [[Jesper W. Nielsen]] || Feature
|-
| ''[[Love Fools]]'' || 1998 || [[Leif Magnusson]]|| Feature
|-
| ''[[Constance (1998 film)|Constance]]'' || 1998 || [[Knud Vesterskov]] || Feature
|-
| ''[[I Wonder Who's Kissing You Now?]]'' || 1998 || [[Henning Carlsen]] || Feature
|-
| ''[[Pink Prison]]'' || 1999 || [[Lisbeth Lynghøft]] || Feature
|-
| ''[[Possessed (1999 film)]]'' || 1999 || Anders Rønnow Klarlund || Feature
|-
| ''[[Den bästa sommaren|A Summer Tale]]'' || 2000 || [[Ulf Malmros]] || Feature
|-
| ''[[Together (2000 film)|Together]]'' || 2000 || Lukas Moodysson || Feature
|-
| ''{{Interlanguage link multi|The lady of Hamre|da|3=Fruen på Hamre}}'' || 2000 || Katrine Wiedemann || Feature
|-
| ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Miracle (2000 film)|da|3=Mirakel (film)}}'' || 2000 || [[Natasha Arthy]] || Feature
|-
| ''[[Ikingut]]'' || 2000 || [[Gísli Snær Erlingsson]]|| Feature
|-
| ''[[The King Is Alive]]'' || 2000 || Kristian Levring || Feature
|-
| ''[[Italian for Beginners]]'' || 2000 || [[Lone Scherfig]] || Feature
|-
| ''HotMen CoolBoyz'' || 2000 || Knud Vesterskov || Feature
|-
|''[[The Dog Hotel]]''
|2000
|[[Per Åhlin]]
|Animated feature
|-
| ''[[The Bench (2000 film)|The Bench]]'' || 2000 || Per Fly || Feature
|-
| ''[[Dancer in the dark]]'' || 2000 || Lars von Trier || Feature
|-
| ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Foreign Fields|da|3=På fremmed mark}}'' || 2000 || {{Interlanguage link multi|Aage Rais-Nordentoft|da}} || Feature
|-
| ''[[D-Dag]]'' || 2001 || Lars von Trier, Kristian Levring, Søren Kragh-Jacobsen, Thomas Vinterberg || TV film
|-
| ''[[Chop Chop (2001 film)|Chop Chop]]'' || 2001 || [[Niels Arden Oplev]] || Feature
|-
| ''[[One-Hand Clapping]]'' || 2001 || Gert Fredholm || Feature
|-
| ''[[Truly Human]]'' || 2001 || [[Åke Sandgren]] || Feature
|-
| ''[[House of Hearts (film)|House of Hearts]]'' || 2002 || {{Interlanguage link multi|Elisabeth Rygaard|da}} || Feature
|-
| ''[[Minor Mishaps]]'' || 2002 || Annette K. Olesen || Feature
|-
| ''[[Charlie Butterfly]]'' || 2002 || [[Dariusz Steiness]]|| Feature - {{DNFt|32506|Charlie Butterfly}}
|-
| ''[[Dogville]]'' || 2003 || Lars von Trier || Feature
|-
| ''[[Sea of Silence]]'' || 2003 || [[Stijn Coninx]] || Feature
|-
| ''[[The Five Obstructions]]'' || 2003 || Lars von Trier and [[Jørgen Leth]] || Feature
|-
|[[Strings (2004 film)|''Strings'']]
|2004
|[[Anders Rønnow Klarlund]]
|Animated feature
|-
| ''{{Interlanguage link multi|South (2004 film)|nl|3=Het Zuiden}}'' || 2004 || [[Martin Koolhoven]] || Feature
|-
| ''[[Brothers (2004 film)|Brothers]]'' || 2004 || Susanne Bier || Feature
|-
| ''[[When Children Play in the Sky]]'' || 2005 || [[Lorenzo Hendel]]|| Feature - {{DNFt|48136|Den sidste åndemaner}}
|-
| ''[[Manderlay]]'' || 2005 || Lars von Trier || Feature
|-
| ''[[All About Anna]]''  || 2005 || [[Jessica Nilsson]] || Feature
|-
| ''[[Snuppet]]'' || 2006 || [[Martin Vrede Nielsen]]|| Feature
|-
| ''[[The Boss of it All]]'' || 2006 || Lars von Trier || Feature
|-
| ''[[Råzone]]'' || 2006 || Christian E. Christiansen || Feature
|-
| ''{{Interlanguage link multi|The Early Years: Erik Nietzsche Part 1|da|3=De unge år: Erik Nietzsche sagaen del 1}}'' || 2007 || [[Jacob Thuesen]]|| Feature
|-
| ''[[At Night (film)|At Night]]'' || 2007 || [[Christian E. Christiansen]] || Short fiction
|-
| ''[[Echo (2007 film)|Echo]]'' || 2007 || [[Anders Morgenthaler]] || Feature
|-
| ''{{Interlanguage link multi|How to Get Rid of Others|da|3=Hvordan vi slipper af med de andre}}'' || 2007 || Anders Rønnow Klarlund || Feature
|-
| ''[[Island of Lost Souls (2007 film)|Island of Lost Souls]]'' || 2007 || Nikolaj Arcel || Feature
|-
| ''[[Little Soldier (film)|Little Soldier]]'' || 2008 || [[Annette K. Olesen]] || Feature
|-
| ''[[Fear Me Not]]'' || 2008 || Kristian Levring || Feature
|-
| ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Oneway-ticket to Korsør|da|3=En enkelt til Korsør}}'' || 2008 || [[Gert Fredholm]] || Feature
|-
| ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Go with peace Jamil|da|3=Gå med fred, Jamil}}'' || 2008 || {{Interlanguage link multi|Omar Shargawi|da}} || Feature
|-
| ''[[Zoomers (film)|Zoomers]]'' || 2009 || Christian E. Christiansen || Feature
|-
|''[[Metropia (film)|Metropia]]''
|2009
|[[Tarik Saleh]]
|Animated feature
|-
| ''[[Mammoth (2009 film)|Mammoth]]'' || 2009 || [[Lukas Moodysson]] || Feature
|-
| ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Love & Rage (2009 film)|da|3=Vanvittig forelsket}}'' || 2009 || [[Morten Giese]]|| Feature
|-
| ''The Blessing'' || 2009 || Heidi Maria Faisst || Feature - {{DNFt|60525|The Blessing}}
|-
| ''[[Antichrist (film)|Antichrist]]'' || 2009 || Lars von Trier || Feature
|-
| ''[[Klown]]'' || 2010 || Mikkel Nørgaard || Feature
|-
| ''[[Berik (film)|Berik]]'' || 2010 || [[Daniel Borgman]] || Short fiction
|-
| ''[[Nothing's All Bad]]'' || 2010 || {{Interlanguage link multi|Mikkel Munch-Fals|da}} || Feature
|-
| ''[[Donkeys (film)|Donkeys]]'' || 2010 || [[Morag McKinnon]]|| Feature
|-
| ''[[Truth About Men]]'' || 2010 || [[Nikolaj Arcel]] || Feature
|-
| ''[[In a Better World]]'' || 2010 || Susanne Bier || Feature; Won the [[Academy Award for Best International Feature Film]]
|-
| ''[[A Family (2010 film)|A Family]]'' || 2010 || [[Pernille Fischer Christensen]] || Feature
|-
| ''[[The Woman That Dreamed About a Man]]'' || 2010 || [[Per Fly]] || Feature
|-
| ''[[The Red Chapel]]'' || 2010 || [[Mads Brügger]] || Documentary
|-
| ''[[Erotic Man]]'' || 2010 || [[Jørgen Leth]] || Feature - {{DNFt|63402|Erotic Man}}
|-
| ''[[ID A]]'' || 2011 || Christian E. Christiansen || Feature
|-
| ''Love Is in the Air'' || 2011 || [[Simon Staho]] || Feature
|-
|''[[Vlogger (film)|Vlogger]]''
|2011
|Ricard Gras
|[[Machinima]]; produced as Zentropa International Spain
|-
| ''[[Rebounce]]'' || 2011 || [[Heidi Maria Faisst]]|| Feature
|-
| ''[[Melancholia (2011 film)|Melancholia]]'' || 2011 || Lars von Trier || Feature
|-
| ''[[Perfect Sense]]'' || 2012 || [[David Mackenzie (director)|David Mackenzie]] || Feature
|-
| ''[[Love Is All You Need]]'' || 2012 || Susanne Bier || Feature
|-
| ''[[The Secret Society of Fine Arts]]'' || 2012 || [[Anders Rønnow Klarlund]] || Feature
|-
| ''[[A Royal Affair]]'' || 2012 || [[Nikolaj Arcel]] || Feature
|-
| ''[[A Caretaker's Tale]]'' || 2012 || {{Interlanguage link multi|Katrine Wiedemann|da}} || Feature
|-
| ''[[Nymphomaniac (film)|Nymphomaniac]]'' || 2013 || [[Lars von Trier]] || Feature
|-
| ''[[The Keeper of Lost Causes]]'' || 2013 || {{Interlanguage link multi|Mikkel Nørgaard|da}} || Feature - {{DNFt|77861|The Keeper of Lost Causes}}
|-
| ''[[The Hunt (2012 film)|The Hunt]]'' || 2013 || [[Thomas Vinterberg]] || Feature
|-
| ''[[The Salvation (film)|The Salvation]]'' || 2014 || [[Kristian Levring]] || Feature
|-
| ''[[The Absent One (2014 film)]]'' || 2014 || {{Interlanguage link multi|Mikkel Nørgaard|da}} || Feature
|-
| ''{{Interlanguage link multi|On the Edge (2014 film)|da|3=Lev stærkt}}'' || 2014 || [[Christian E. Christiansen]] || Feature
|-
| ''[[A Second Chance (2014 film)|A Second Chance]]'' || 2014 || [[Susanne Bier]] || Feature
|-
|''Vitello Dugs a Hole''
|2015
|Dorte Bengtson
|Animated short feature
|-
| ''The Model'' || 2015 || {{Interlanguage link multi|Mads Matthiesen|da}} || Feature - {{DNFt|90390|The Model}}
|-
|''[[The Day Will Come (2016 film)|The Day Will Come]]''
|2016
|[[Jesper W. Nielsen]]
|Feature
|-
|''[[Vitello (film)|Vitello]]''
|2018
|Dorte Bengtson
|Animated feature
|-
| ''[[The House That Jack Built (2018 film)|The House That Jack Built]]'' || 2018 || [[Lars Von Trier]] || Feature
|-
|''{{Interlanguage link multi|Journal 64|da|3=Journal 64 (film)}}''
|2018
|[[Christoffer Boe]]
|Feature
|-
| ''[[The Other Lamb]]'' || 2019 || [[Małgorzata Szumowska]] || Feature
|-
|''{{Interlanguage link multi|Monty and the Street Party|da|3=Mugge & vejfesten}}''
|2019
|[[Anders Morgenthaler]], [[Mikael Wulff]]
|Animated feature
|-
|''[[Hope (2019 film)|Hope]]''
|2019
|[[Maria Sødahl]]
|Feature
|-
| ''[[Sweat (2020 film)|Sweat]]'' || 2020 || [[Magnus von Horn]] || Feature
|-
|''[[Riders of Justice]]''
|2020
|[[Anders Thomas Jensen]]
|Feature
|-
|''[[Another Round (film)|Another Round]]''
|2020
|[[Thomas Vinterberg]]
|Feature; Won the [[Academy Award for Best International Feature Film]]
|-
| ''[[Rushed]]'' || 2021 || [[Vibeke Muasya]]|| Feature
|-
|''[[The Kingdom (miniseries)|The Kingdom Exodus]]''
|2022
|[[Lars Von Trier]]
|Miniseries
|-
|''Forever''
|2022
|Frelle Petersen
|Feature
|-
|''[[Together 99]] (Tillsammans 99)''
|2023
|[[Lukas Moodysson]]
|Feature film
|-
|''Families Like Ours''
|TBA
|[[Thomas Vinterberg]]
|Miniseries
|-
|''Just Like Beauty''
|TBA
|TBA
|Feature
|-
|}
== Subsidiaries ==
* [[EF Rental]]
* [[Electric Parc]]
* [[Puzzy Power]]
* [[Trust Film Sales]]
* [[Zentropa Real]]
* [[Zentropa Interaction]]
* [[Zentropa Rekorder]]
* [[Zentropa Klippegangen]]
* [[Zentropa International Köln GmbH]]
* [[Zentropa International Poland]]
* Zentropa International Sweden
== Awards ==
Zentropa won many awards and nominations from local ceremonies including [[Robert Awards|Robert]] and [[Bodil Awards|Bodil]], as well as two [[Academy Award for Best International Feature Film]] for ''[[In a Better World]]'' and [[Another Round (film)|''Another Round'']], both were directed by critically acclaimed [[Dogme 95]]-competitors [[Susanne Bier]] and [[Thomas Vinterberg]].
== References ==
<references />
{{Authority control}}
== External links ==
* {{Official website|http://zentropa.dk}}
* {{DNFc|107463}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070720220850/http://www.filmbyen.dk/ Filmbyen official site]
* [https://www.imdb.com/company/co0136662/ Zentropa at IMDb]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080604163439/http://www.dfi.dk/tidsskriftetfilm/55/filmproduktion.htm Interview with Peter Aalbæk Jensen]
[[Category:Film production companies of Denmark]]
[[Category:Mass media companies based in Copenhagen]]
[[Category:Companies based in Hvidovre Municipality]]
[[Category:Danish companies established in 1992]]
[[Category:Danish film studios]]
[[Category:Danish brands]]
[[Category:Film distributors]]
[[Category:Lars von Trier]]