The Dogme 95 Movement

Introducing the Dogme 95 film movement: a daring interrogation of the possibilities of cinema when placed under conditions of extreme restriction. Spearheaded by Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, Dogme 95 is less a call to political action than an act of witty provocation. The ‘Vow of Chastity’ associated with the movement, a list of ten rules placing restraints on everything from camerawork to location, is strikingly reminiscent of the 10 commandments; one can imagine each rule reformulated with a preceding biblical ‘you shall not’. And despite each Dogme film’s various deviations from the prescribed rules, all have maintained a fundamental commitment to authenticity through stylistic and formal limitation. Eliding commercial cinema’s tendency toward ‘illusion’, the asceticism of the movement would inspire an array of darkly comedic realist films, extending its influence beyond Denmark into international waters. This collection of films seeks to spotlight some of the core contributions to the Dogme movement, illustrating its profound impact on the global cinematic landscape.

  • The Idiots - Lars von Trier 1998

    SYNOPSIS
    When Karen joins a cult-like group led by self-proclaimed anti-bourgeois visionary Stoffer, she finds herself inexplicably drawn into their absurdist quest for authenticity and freedom. The group, invading bourgeois public spaces to perform mental disabilities in acts of ‘spassing’, are attempting to retrieve the ‘inner idiot’ refused to them by their urban professional lives.

    OUR TAKE
    Renowned provocateur Lars von Trier aims his handheld camera at the Danish middle classes in this unflinching critique of a civilised society that inhibits expression and demands performance at any cost. Blurring the boundaries between fiction and documentary, ‘The Idiots’ is a painfully honest exploration of communication and community, featuring a beautifully restrained lead performance from Danish actress Bodil Jørgensen.

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  • Celebration - Thomas Vinterberg 1998

    SYNOPSIS
    Wealthy patriarch Helge is celebrating his 60th birthday with his family in their sprawling country hotel. The absence of his eldest daughter, who has recently committed suicide, is conspicuously felt by all involved. As the weekend goes underway, menacing secrets emerge, and the celebration quickly descends into violent dysfunction and disarray.

    OUR TAKE
    The first official Dogme 95 film, ‘Celebration’ sets an impressive precedent for its successors, adhering to an aggressively pared back style that denies distraction or relief from its harrowing subject matter. Poised expertly between comedy and tragedy, Thomas Vinterberg’s second feature film is a macabre chamber drama that embodies the excruciating authenticity and critique of the bourgeois facade at the heart of the Dogme movement.

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  • Julien Donkey-Boy - Harmony Korine 1999

    SYNOPSIS
    Julien is an untreated schizophrenic living with his pregnant sister Pearl, younger brother Chris, and broken Father. As Julien attempts to navigate the complicated and harsh world around him through prayer and poetry, Pearl excitedly prepares for motherhood, whilst their Father mourns his deceased wife and terrorises the family in acts of alcohol-induced rage.

    OUR TAKE
    Harmony Korine’s raw depiction of life through the eyes of the marginalised and mentally ill artfully employs avant-garde camerawork and a home video style to construct a world that is equal parts devastating and compelling. The first Dogme film produced outside of Europe, ‘Julien Donkey-Boy’ is a creative reinterpretation of the rules constituting the Vow of Chastity with harrowingly authentic performances from German master Werner Herzog and American it-girl Chloë Sevigny.

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