After a ten-year absence since the presentation of The Neon Demon, Refn has premiered his most personal and ambitious project to date, 'Her Private Hell', out of competition. However, beyond the visual proposal of the film, what has shocked the Croisette is the story of his own resurrection after being clinically dead.
During an emotional press conference, the filmmaker revealed that three years ago he suffered an extreme medical crisis due to a condition known as "leaky heart". This condition caused his blood to flow backward, filling his lungs with fluid. Refn was clinically dead for over twenty minutes before being resuscitated with a defibrillator at the hospital.
Visibly moved, the director confessed to the media: "I was given a second chance." Through tears, he stated that this experience has transformed his creative vision, leading him to want to do something "that is good" with the remaining time he has. With his characteristic sense of humor, he joked about the professional who saved his life in the operating room: "the surgeon was Tom Cruise."
Referring to the doctor's skill, he added: "I thought I was a genius, but this guy...". The film, starring Sophie Thatcher, Charles Melton, and Mexican actor Diego Calva, is described by its creator as a dystopian and futuristic opera filled with neon lights. The plot intertwines three surreal ideas: a young woman in a nonexistent city, a man who travels to hell, and a mysterious monster with a 'glam' and 'sexy' style. Music plays a fundamental role in this production, led by the legendary Italian composer Pino Donaggio.
Refn admitted that his choice was impulsive: "In the end, I thought I had to make an opera and needed a composer." However, the encounter was not easy, as the director confessed that he "didn't know if he was alive" and had to Google him before contacting him. Donaggio himself acknowledged at Cannes that the collaboration was intense: "It was not easy to work with him because he is very demanding." The filming of 'Her Private Hell' has been described by its cast as an unparalleled artistic challenge.