Trick of the light angers odd auteur

THE DANISH director Lars von Trier demanded yesterday that his film The Idiots be withdrawn from cinemas because the producer used artificial lighting without telling him.

"During the production, dramatic and unforgivable transgressions" were made "without my knowledge," said Mr von Trier, who is committed to a naturalistic style of film making.

"I have been unfaithful to Lars," the producer Aalbaek Jensen said. "But it would have been impossible to see what was happening." The Idiots won't be withdrawn. "That is not feasible," Mr Jensen said. (AP)