'I thank God for killing me and bringing me back': Nicolas Winding Refn on the emergency op that inspired his new sci-fi horror
Notorious for ultra-violent movies like Drive and The Neon Demon, the Dane had lost the will to direct until ‘the Tom Cruise of surgeons’ saved his life – and triggered an astonishing creative rebirth
TL;DR
- Nicolas Winding Refn underwent life-saving open-heart surgery in 2023 after discovering a broken heart valve.
- The experience, initially leading to a loss of creative passion, ultimately served as a profound rebirth for the director.
- Refn's new film, 'Her Private Hell', is a sci-fi horror inspired by his near-death experience and subsequent recovery.
- He likens his recovery and renewed creative drive to a divine intervention and a second chance at life.
- Refn believes his film challenges the artificiality of modern entertainment, stating it's a movie AI could never create.
- He embraces divisive opinions on his work, seeing it as a sign of passion and impact.
- Refn sees his current mission as creating art with the remaining time he has, emphasizing living in the present.