Lars Von Trier has vowed never to give another interview or make a public statement as he continues to suffer the fall-out from his controversial remarks about Adolf Hitler earlier this year.
The Danish director was banned from the Cannes Film Festival in France in May after telling a press conference he could "understand" the Nazi leader.
The controversy continued last month when he refused to apologise for his comments, and on Wednesday von Trier was quizzed by Danish police over the incident, prompting him to announce a dramatic withdrawal from the public eye.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, he writes: "Today at 2pm I was questioned by the Police of North Zealand in connection with charges made by the prosecution of Grasse in France from August 2011 regarding a possible violation of prohibition in French law against justification of war crimes.
"The investigation covers comments made during the press conference in Cannes in May 2011. Due to these serious accusations I have realized that I do not possess the skills to express myself unequivocally and I have therefore decided from this day forth to refrain from all public statements and interviews."
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