Per Holst, Danish filmmaker, producer and a revered figure in his country’s cinema, and a key collaborator with auteurs like Lars von Trier and Bille August, has died at the age of 86, per deadline.com. His son, Anders Holst, told Danish broadcaster TV 2 that his father passed away peacefully in his sleep on Saturday morning.
“He leaves behind a cultural legacy that we are proud of,” Anders Holst said. “He has been active until the end… He loved to read, watch, and talk about films.”
Holst was a prolific producer, with dozens of credits beginning in the late 1960s. He helped shape the work of a generation of Danish directors, including Lars von Trier’s debut feature The Element of Crime. His most notable collaboration was with Bille August, producing several of his early films including the Oscar-winning Pelle the Conqueror in 1989. The film, which also won the prestigious Palme d’Or at Cannes, secured a consecutive Best Foreign Film Academy Award for Denmark.
In addition to producing, Holst also directed, most famously with the 1985 buddy comedy Walter and Carlo — Up on Daddy’s Hat, which remains one of the highest-grossing Danish films of all time. He founded his production company, Per Holst Film, in 1965 and later held leadership roles at prominent organizations, including the European Film Academy.
Per Holst is survived by his wife and four sons.
•Featured image: Per Holst/Getty Images
