Danish director Lars Von Trier, who had expressed the day before his "sympathy" for Hitler, was declared Thursday "persona non grata" by the Festival de Cannes "with immediate effect", but has not been excluded from the competition, announced the festival management.
"The Governing Council strongly condemns the remarks and said Lars Von Trier persona non grata at Cannes, and that, effective immediately," said the executive in a statement.
Questioned by AFP, she said that the sanction did not exclude the director of the official competition for the Palme d'Or.
The festival president Gilles Jacob, had called on Thursday morning a special board to examine évntuelles sanctions against the director.
"The Cannes Film Festival offers artists from around the world an exceptional platform to showcase their work and defend freedom of expression and creation" and "deeply regrets that this forum was used by Lars Von Trier to express about unacceptable, intolerable contrary to the ideals of humanity and generosity that govern the very existence of the festival, "adds its leaders.
At the press conference for his film "Melancholia," the director had created unease in professing sympathy for Hitler he "understands" and judging that "Israel is really shit," before apologizing in 'afternoon at the request of the festival.
