May 19, 2026 4:21am PT

Nicolas Winding Refn Breaks Down in Tears as He Recalls Dying for 25 Minutes Due to a ‘Leaking Heart’ and Coming Back to Life: ‘How Many People Get a Second Chance?’

Ellise Shafer

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Ellise Shafer

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Danish auteur Nicolas Winding Refn broke down in tears during the Cannes press conference for his new film “Her Private Hell,” recalling how he died for 25 minutes three years ago and then came back to life.

Refn, who is making his feature film return with “Her Private Hell” after 10 years, said he had given up on movie-making until he faced death. “Before I died, I had come to the end of my career because I didn’t have anything left in me,” he said. “So, there was nothing for me to do.”

Nicolas Winding Refn Breaks Down in Tears as He Recalls Dying for 25 Minutes Due to a 'Leaking Heart' and Coming Back to Life: ‘How Many People Get a Second Chance?’