The Trip to Squash Land (1967)

Lars von Trier is probably the most original and influential Danish director since Carl Theodor Dreyer. Most people have seen "Europa", "Dogville", "The Boss of it All", "Breaking the Waves" and other films he made, and his Dogme95 camera style is frequently used in films by many directors as a cost-saving technique. Most people don't know,but he made his directorial "debut" at the age of 11- with "The Trip to Squashland", a 2 minute stop-motion cardboard animation musical about about (I think) a super-sausage that saves rescues a bunny. Although frankly stupid and pointless, it shows some talent that will come into play about 10 years later when Trier made his college short "The Orchid Gardener", his graduation film "Images of a Relief", and the masterpieces we all (or at least some of us) know and love. Will I recommend Lars von Trier's first film? Yes, but not because of quality, rather because of the historical value. Hey, it's only 2 minutes.