Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn talks about surviving a serious health crisis as he returns to feature filmmaking with his new thriller, “Her Private Hell,” which premieres at Cannes. Speaking at a Cannes press conference, Refn describes how, during heart surgery in 2023, he “died” for roughly 20–25 minutes and then regained consciousness. Multiple outlets report that Refn attributes the episode to a “leaking heart,” and he frames his recovery as an extraordinary second chance.
Refn made the comments while addressing journalists and, at the premiere, he drew extended applause. Reports also describe him breaking down in tears as he recounted the experience, with his remarks delivered in a reflective and personal tone. The accounts consistently place the story around his near-death episode during surgery three years ago and link it to his current public appearance promoting “Her Private Hell,” his first feature in about a decade.
The outlets do not offer additional medical details beyond Refn’s account of the surgery and the cause he cited, but they agree on the key points: the length of time he says he was dead, his emotional reaction, and his Cannes comeback with the new film.
