As the Best Actress Award was given to 29-year old Kirsten Dunst at this year's Cannes Film Festival, many celebrated her graduation from the 'Spiderman' genre, into the art film category. The emotionally-charged and visually-stirring 'Melancholia' stars Kirsten as Justine -- a depressive bride who struggles to find meaning in the ritual of marriage, only to find more comfort in knowing that the world is literally going to end. Danish director Lars von Trier confessed that Dunst got the role when actress Penelope Cruz cancelled because of schedule conflicts, but the collaboration (with Dunst) was "a pleasant surprise."

'Melancholia' is also the name of the much-larger planet that is on a direct collision course with Earth. After an 'overture' of slow-motion apocalyptic images, the film begins a few days before the scientifically-predicted event. Justine struggles to find sense in the real world, and her sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) tries, as she does her whole life, to help Justine adapt and be happy. As Claire's scientist husband John (Kiefer Sutherland) confirms the impending end of the world, she falls apart hysterically while Justine strangely feels more at peace as the Earth draws near to its death. "When you're longing for shipwrecks and sudden death," explains von Trier, " it must be because it seems more real than this phony world."

Kirsten related to the press during an interview, that depression was a natural thing for people, and that she had her own serious bout of it, back in 2008. "I would never put anyone down that was in that kind of space. I think that most human beings go through some sort of depression in their lives. And if they don't, I think that's weird." Von Trier feels strongly that this was her advantage. "She helped me a lot," he regards,"...she had taken photos of herself in that situation so I could see how she looked..how she was present and smiling, but with a completely blank stare." He adds that Dunst was much more nuanced that he thought and that she was "one hell of an actress." Kirsten Dunst co-stars with Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alexander Skarsgard and Kiefer Sutherland in the movie. The film is released commercially this month, and in November or later in some countries.

Kirsten started acting at a young age, and did several modeling and film bit roles, before landing a breakthrough role in 'Interview with the Vampire.' The 1994 Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt starrer featured her as Claudia, the insatiable surrogate daughter of the two vampires, in a performance that garnered critical acclaim. With her replacement as leading lady in the highly-popular 'The Amazing Spiderman' franchise, Kirsten just has good words to say of the new Spiderman, Andrew Garfield, and the new female lead, Emma Stone. "I've always been a big Andrew Garfield fan, I really like his work a lot," Dunst tells the web portal Digital Spy. "And I really like Emma. I really like that zombie movie...Zombieland...so I'm sure they'll be really charming and great."