Lars von Trier has joked that he is a Nazi.

The controversial director made the comments during an unusual press 
conference for his movie Melancholia at the Cannes Film Festival.

Asked about his German roots, von Trier said: "I wanted to be a Jew and then 
I found out I was really a Nazi, because my family was German. Which also 
gave me some pleasure.

"What can I say? I understand Hitler. I think he did some wrong things, yes 
absolutely, but I can see him sitting in his bunker at the end... I think I 
understand the man. He's not what you would call a good guy. But I 
understand much about him and I sympathise with him a little bit."

He continued: "Come on, I'm not for the Second World War - and I'm not 
against Jews... [Jewish Danish director]Susanne Bier is... no, not even 
Susanne Bier! That was also a joke.

"I am of course very much for Jews! No, not too much because Israel is a 
pain in the ass. How can I get out of this sentence?!?!?!"

Von Trier added: "I'm very much for Speer - Albert Speer I liked. He was 
also maybe [not] one of God's best children, but he had some talent that was 
possible for him to use during... okay, I'm a Nazi!"

Asked if he could make a film on a grander scale than Melancholia, von Trier 
quipped: "On a grander scale? Yeah, that's what we Nazis really like. We 
have a tendency to try to do things on a greater scale. Maybe you could 
persuade me into... The Final Solution - with journalists."

Von Trier also suggested that his next film will be a four-hour hardcore 
pornography movie starring Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Tobey 
Maguire.