Breaking the Waves is a 1996 film, irected by Lars von Trier and starring Emily Watson. Set in the Scottish Highlands in the 1970s, it tells the story of an unusual woman, Bess McNeill, and of the love she has for Jan, her husband. The film is the first film in von Trier's 'Golden Heart Trilogy' which also includes The Idiots (1998) and Dancer in the Dark (2000).