Her Private Hell director Nicolas Winding Refn cried during the Cannes press conference.
He reflected on his near-death experience.
He was comforted by actors Charles Melton and Sophie Thatcher.
Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn, best known for films such as the Pusher trilogy and Drive, turned emotional and broke down in tears, recalling his near-death experience and heart surgery three years ago.
During the Cannes press conference for his new film Her Private Hell, Winding Refn revealed he “died for 25 minutes” in 2023 and then came back to life.
Nicolas Winding Refn on near-death experience
“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.”
Refn revealed his “leaking heart” was “discovered by accident”, and his “lungs were filling up with blood. He was told that he would probably not survive and “if he did, they didn’t know what would happen.” He was operated on two weeks later.
“Thank God the surgeon was Tom Cruise and he could fix me with his hands, and then he brought me back to life with electricity,” he added.
The director was in tears talking about how the experience changed his perspective on career and personal life. He was comforted by actors Charles Melton and Sophie Thatcher.
“I realised before I died that I’d been given a gift, I could start over again. Like how many people get a second chance? And I got a second chance from God. And I could use that for good,” he concluded.
Her Private Hell is Nicolas' first film in 10 years. His 2011 film, Drive, was lauded in Cannes. He returned to the festival in 2013 with Only God Forgives and in 2016 with The Neon Demon.
