Nicolas Winding Refn

Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Nicolas Winding Refn, spent the majority of his youth in New York, returning to Copenhagen in 1987 to complete his high school education. Coming back to America to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, his time was cut short when he was expelled. He then applied, and was immediately accepted at the distinguished Danish Film School. Before the start of the semester in 1993, he had been experimenting with the short film format, starring in his own productions, when an obscure Danish cable TV channel offered to air his short film Pusher. This led to the life changing offer to transform the short into a feature. He wrote and directed the 1996 feature film Pusher, winning instant national and international critical acclaim, and the film remains a cult title amongst film aficionados.