“Dying is very interesting,” began Nicolas Winding Refn when asked about his mic drop moment at last night’s Cannes world premiere for his latest feature Her Private Hell.
Refn told the entire Grand Theatre Lumiere audience, who gave him a 12-minute standing ovation, that he was dead for 20-plus minutes during heart surgery. Coming away from the experience, the Drive Cannes winning Best Director is seeing a second lease on life.
Asked to expound on his near brush with death, Refn eventually broke down and cried, triggering a thunderous applause in the press conference.
“Before I died, I came to the end of my career. There was nothing for me to do. I had a leaking heart with the blood running backwards,” shared Refn.
“My lungs were filling up with blood…suddenly I was told, I wouldn’t live. Two weeks later, I was operated on. Thank God, the surgeon was Tom Cruise because he could go through my body with all his abilities and he could fix my heart with this hands.”
“I was put together with electricity like Frankenstein,” he continued. “I’m the Bionic Man.”
“I realized I could start over again. How many guys get a second chance. I was going to use that chance,” he added.
“How can I expand everyone’s horizons for the kids?”
Her Private Hell follows a group of posh actresses who are making a movie in a future metropolis. One of them, Elle (Sophie Thatche), is haunted by a nefarious murderer, the Leather Man, who is offing women around the city. Charles Melton, Havana Rose Liu, Kristine Froseth, Diego Calva, and Dougray Scott also star.
Her Private Hell, though out of competition, tied with Fjord for the longest standing ovations at this year’s Cannes through Tuesday AM. Both weighed in at 12 minutes. Deadline film critic Damon Wise said in his review, “Her Private Hell is either for you or it isn’t and you’re either for it or you aren’t. Either way, this is a film that demands you pick a side.”
The pic opens on July 24 via Neon.
Watch our interview below with Refn where he talks about his near death experience.
