Danish director Lars Von Trier has accepted his ban from the Cannes Film Festival, following his claims that he sympathised with Adolf Hitler.

His remarks, purportedly made in jest, prompted a swift rebuke from organizers and Von Trier apologized the same day.

The 55-year-old is a previous winner of the festival’s Palme d’Or award and is renowned for courting controversy.

During a news conference on Wednesday for Von Trier’s new film, “Melancholia,” which is produced by Zentropa, the director said Hitler “did some wrong things, yes, absolutely, but I can see him sitting in his bunker in the end.” Von Trier added, “I’m not for the Second World War, and I’m not against Jews, not even Susanne Bier,” naming a fellow filmmaker who is Jewish.