Bjork’s generational talent and Lars Von Trier’s cynical provocation collided on this beautiful, contentious project, in which Von Trier perverts the strictures of the “Dogme 95” movement by marrying lo-fi DV aesthetics with delirious musical setpieces… all leading to the sudden, crushing silence with which we’ve chosen to close out our 2026 Bleak Week.

Selma (Björk) is a Czech immigrant, a single mother working in a factory in rural America. Her salvation is passion for music, specifically, the all-singing, all-dancing numbers found in classic Hollywood musicals. Selma harbors a sad secret: she is losing her eyesight and her son Gene stands to suffer the same fate if she can’t put away enough money to secure him an operation.

“It’s great to see a movie so courageous and affecting, so committed to its own differentness.” – San Francisco Chronicle

About Bleak Week: Presented in partnership with American Cinematheque, ‘Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair’ is an annual film festival showcasing some of the greatest works of cinema from across the globe that venture into the darkest sides of humanity and the bleakest points in human history. The fifth annual edition in June 2026 expands to nearly 100 theaters across the U.S., Canada, U.K. and South and Central America, with each venue presenting its own original curated lineup of uncompromising films defined by unpleasant truths and raw empathy.

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