Dancer in the Dark

2000, Lars von Trier, Denmark, 141 min.

Selected and introduced by filmmaker and author David Barclay Moore.

Björk plays a Czech-immigrant factory worker in rural America who is slowly going blind due to a hereditary disease. She escapes her despair by delving into a fantasy world of movie musicals.

Why did you select Dancer in the Dark for the Cabaret Cinema: Soundtrack series?

“Icelandic performer Björk’s Dancer in The Dark (2000), directed by Lars von Trier, is a hopeless, yet beautiful nihilistic musical. Set in 1964 Washington State, the film tells the story of an impoverished immigrant factory worker who is saving money to prevent her son from being afflicted with the same degenerative eye disorder that is robbing her of her own sight. Dancer in the Dark is as bold as it is moving, with an eclectic soundtrack that lingers. “ —David Barclay Moore

About Cabaret Cinema: Soundtrack

You can probably name the best movie you’ve seen, but what about the best movie you’ve heard? It might be your favorite because of its sound effects, sound engineering, score, or another element of the audio experience. Watch—and hear—a series of films that caught the ear of notable New Yorkers.

About the introducer

Author and filmmaker David Barclay Moore was born and raised in Missouri. In New York he has served as technical producer at Sony StudiOne and communications coordinator for Geoffrey Canada’s Harlem Children’s Zone. His debut novel, The Stars Beneath Our Feet (Knopf), was published this fall. David now lives, works, and explores in Brooklyn. You can follow him online at DavidBarclayMoore.com, on Twitter at @dbarclaymoore, and on Instagram at dbarclaymoore.