Depressed Von Trier 'may not' work again

The Danish film director Lars Von Trier says he is unclear when he will make another film because he is depressed and unable to work.

After being admitted to hospital at the start of this year, he had lost focus on his work, he toldPolitiken newspaper. It felt "like a blank sheet of paper", explained the 51-year-old, who is known for films such as Dogville.

"It's very strange for me, because I've always had at least three projects in my head at one time," he added.

"You can't make a film and be depressed at the same time. They say that it can take a couple of years to recover after a depression - but let us see."

He also said he was unsure if he would be able to start filming the horror Antichrist towards the middle of this year. The film depicts Satan, rather than God, as the world's creator. "I assume that Antichrist will be my next movie," he said, "but right now I don't know."

Von Trier helped create the "Dogma" principle of film-making in the mid-1990s. This banned props, lighting and sound editing, as a way of stripping down the production process.

Von Trier's fear of flying has prevented him from visiting the US, and he complained this year about America's influence on his life - even in Denmark. "We are all under the influence - and it's a very bad influence - from America," he said. "In my country everything has to do with America. America is kind of sitting on the world."