10 Directors Who Were PISSED OFF At Film Premieres
7. Carl Theodor Dreyer Flipped Off The Booing Crowd - Gertrud
Carl Theodor Dreyer's final film Gertrud is one of the more divisive entries into the director's filmography, and its initial release was defined by several historic screenings.
Its original Paris premiere in December 1964 was a disaster of near-biblical proportions, with the cinema's projection equipment failing several times, reels being shown out of order, and the subtitles even being poorly produced. Naturally, audiences were horrified.
The film was given a second attempt at a glossy gala showing at the Cannes Film Festival several months later, with Dreyer himself in attendance.
Unfortunately, despite the screening itself running smoothly on a technical level, the crowd staunchly booed the film, reportedly prompting Dreyer to flip off the audience in response.
There was something approaching a happy ending for Dreyer, though, as when the film was screened at the Venice Film Festival later that year, though half of the audience walked out, those who remained gave it a standing ovation, which apparently left Dreyer visibly moved.