Dogme 95 (in English: Dogma 95) is an avant-garde filmmaking movement started in 1995 by the Danish directors Lars von Trier, Thomas Vinterberg, Kristian Levring, and Søren Kragh-Jacobsen. This movement is sometimes known as the Dogme 95 Collective or the Dogme Brethren. 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lars von Trier at Cannes in 2000 Lars von Trier (born Lars Trier, April 30, 1956 in Copenhagen, Denmark) is a Danish film director closely associated with the Dogme95 collective, calling for a return to plausible stories in filmmaking and a move away from artifice and towards technical minimalism. ... Thomas Vinterberg at 40th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Thomas Vinterberg (born May 19, 1969) is a Danish film director who, along with Lars von Trier, co-founded the Dogme 95 movement in filmmaking, which established rules for simplifying movie production. ... Kristian Levring was born in 1957 in Denmark. ... Søren Kragh-Jacobsen (born March 2, 1947 in Copenhagen) is a Danish film director, musician, and song writer. ...

Background

The Dogme movement was announced on 22 March 1995 at Le cinéma vers son deuxième siècle conference in Paris, where the cinema world’s elite gathered to celebrate the first century of motion pictures and contemplate the uncertain future of commercial cinema. Lars von Trier was called upon to speak about the future of film but instead showered a bemused audience with red pamphlets announcing the Dogme 95 movement. In 1995 cinema was at an uncertain point in its history because it was (and still is) threatened by the impending age of digital film technology. Digital technology means that the cost of film production, exhibition and distribution is reduced, and production processes and distribution systems speeded up. This, in turn, means that non-Hollywood filmmakers can potentially compete with Hollywood in terms of making films and getting them to their audiences. In this industrial climate, then, Dogme hailed itself as 'a rescue action!' Digital film refers to cinema production and performance systems which work by using a digital representation of the brightness and colour of each pixel of the image. ... ...

Goals and Rules

The goal of the Dogme collective is to purify filmmaking by refusing expensive and spectacular special effects, postproduction modifications and other gimmicks. The emphasis on purity forces the filmmakers to focus on the actual story and on the actors' performances. The audience may also be more engaged as they do not have overproduction to alienate them from the narrative, themes and mood. To this end, Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg produced ten rules that any Dogme film must conform to. These rules, referred to as the Vow of Chastity, are as follows: A gimmick is a unique or quirky special feature that makes something stand out from its contemporaries. ... ...

1. Filming must be done on location. Props and sets must not be brought in (if a particular prop is necessary for the story, a location must be chosen where this prop is to be found).
2. The sound must never be produced apart from the images or vice versa. (Music must not be used unless it occurs where the scene is being filmed).
3. The camera must be hand-held. Any movement or immobility attainable in the hand is permitted. (The film must not take place where the camera is standing; filming must take place where the action takes place.)
4. The film must be in colour. Special lighting is not acceptable. (If there is too little light for exposure the scene must be cut or a single lamp be attached to the camera).
5. Optical work and filters are forbidden.
6. The film must not contain superficial action. (Murders, weapons, etc. must not occur.)
7. Temporal and geographical alienation are forbidden. (That is to say that the film takes place here and now.)
8. Genre movies are not acceptable.
9. The final picture must be transferred to the Academy 35mm film, with an aspect ratio of 4:3, that is, not widescreen. (Originally, the requirement was that the film had to be filmed on Academy 35mm film, but the rule was relaxed to allow low-budget productions.)
10. The director must not be credited.

These rules have been both circumvented and broken, from the first Dogme film. For instance, in The Idiots, a musician provided background music off-camera, and Thomas Vinterberg "confessed" to having covered a window during the shooting of one scene in The Celebration (Festen), which is both bringing a prop onto the set and using special lighting. As mentioned on the Dogme 95 website, it's up to the director of the movie to interpret the rules. In the performing arts, a prop (the common short form for the more formal property) is anything that is carried by a performer during the performance. ... Simulated 35 mm film with soundtracks _ The outermost strips (on either side) contain the SDDS soundtrack as an image of a digital signal. ... The aspect ratio of an image is its displayed width divided by its height (usually expressed as x:y). For instance, the aspect ratio of a traditional television screen is 4:3, or 1. ... The inner box (green) is the format used in pre-1952 movies and pre-HDTV television. ... The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... Idioterne (English: The Idiots), a 1998 film directed by Lars von Trier. ... The Celebration (original Danish title: Festen) (1998) is an acclaimed Danish movie, directed and written by Thomas Vinterberg, which centers around the resolving of deep family issues. ...

In certain cases, the titles of Dogme films are superfluous, since they are also referred to by numbers. The spirit of the Dogme technique influenced Lars von Trier's film Breaking the Waves, although it is not a Dogme film. The first of the Dogme films was Vinterberg's 1998 film Festen, which is also known as Dogme #1. Festen was highly acclaimed by many critics, and won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival that year. Von Trier's only Dogme film, Idioterne (The Idiots, or Dogme #2), was less successful. Since those two original films were released, other directors have participated in the creation of Dogme films. For example, the American director Harmony Korine created the movie Julien Donkey-Boy which is also known as Dogme #6. Breaking the Waves is a 1996 film, set in the Scottish Highlands in the 1970s, which tells the story of Bess McNeill, who marries oil-man Jan, despite the apprehensions of her community and Calvinist church. ... The Palais des Festivals (2000) The Cannes Film Festival (French: le Festival international du film de Cannes or simply le Festival de Cannes) is the worlds most prestigious film festival, first held from September 20 to October 5, 1946 in the resort town of Cannes, in the south of... Idioterne (English: The Idiots), a 1998 film directed by Lars von Trier. ... Harmony Korine Harmony Korine (born January 4, 1973) is a US film director and writer. ...

For more information, see www.dogme95.dk.

Appeal

The genre gained international appeal partly because of its accessibility. It sparked off an interest in unknown filmmakers by creating the possibility that one can make a recognised film without being dependent on commissions or huge Hollywood budgets. The movement has been criticised for being a disguised attempt to gain media attention. It could be said that as the founding Dogma directors have declined offers to work in Hollywood they are not interested in media (or commercial) attention to further their career or gain recognition. Dogma was initiated to cause a stir and to make filmmakers and audiences re-think the art, effect and essence of filmmaking. It has been said that Dogme has strong roots in the radical New Wave movement of the sixties. The term New Wave has been used to describe several movements in art. ...

Woody Allen

It is speculated that much of the influence of the Dogme 95 concept derived from the films of legendary American director Woody Allen, specifically his film Husbands and Wives (1992). The film centers around two couples (Allen/Mia Farrow and Judy Davis/Sydney Pollack) whose lives are thrown into delayed hysteria when Davis and Pollack announce their separation. The film garnered most of its attention from some of the subject matter, which involved a relationship between Allen and a younger student (Juliette Lewis), a situation that mirrored very real events in his personal life. But among filmmakers and true filmgoers, the film appeared as a chink in the chain that was conventional Hollywood filmmaking. It used subdued lighting techniques, hand-held cinema veritè cinematography and mid-sentence editing cuts to establish a sense of stark realism. The form was adopted by Allen for a few subsequent films. Woody Allen. ... Husbands and Wives is a 1992 American film directed and written by Woody Allen. ... Farrow on the cover of Glamour, 1968 Maria de Lourdes Villiers Farrow, better known as Mia Farrow (February 9, 1945 – April 5, 2006) is an American actress. ... Judy Davis (born April 23, 1955) is an Academy Award-nominated Australian actress. ... Sydney Pollack (born July 1, 1934 in Lafayette, Indiana) is an American actor, producer, and director. ... Juliette Lewis (born June 21, 1973) is an American actress and musician. ...

New Puritans

A related British literary movement, called the New Puritans, espouses similar values for the writing of fiction. A totally unrelated group calling themselves 'Dogme ELT' attempted to link the Vows of Chastity idea to English language teaching, but later admitted that they had not meant their 'Vows' to be taken literally. The New Puritans is the so-called literary movement ascribed to the contributors of the 2000 anthology of short stories All Hail the New Puritans, edited by Nicholas Blincoe and Matt Thorne. ...

Criticism

The movement has been criticized for breaking one of the major rules of free-form art: There are no rules. By making rules for filmmakers to follow, some say the leaders of Dogme are simply instructing impressionable, up-and-coming filmmakers to be more like them.

Though the argument may have merit, the only perk of a Dogme 95 filmmaker is recognition by the movement.

In response to the criticism, von Trier and Vinterberg have both stated that they just wanted to establish a new extreme. "In a business of extremely high budgets, we figured we should balance the dynamic as much as possible."

List of Dogme films

1. The Celebration (Original title "Festen", Denmark, 1998) (IMDb entry)
2. The Idiots (Original title "Idioterne", Denmark, 1998) (IMDb entry)
3. Mifunes Sidste Sang (int. Mifune's Last Song) (Denmark, 1999) (IMDb entry)
4. The King is Alive (Denmark, 2000) (IMDb entry)
5. Lovers (France, 1999) (IMDb entry)
6. Julien Donkey-Boy (USA, 1999) (IMDb entry)
7. Interview (South Korea, 2000) (IMDb entry)
8. Fuckland (Argentina, 2000) (IMDb entry)
9. Babylon (Sweden, 2001) (IMDb entry)
10. Chetzemoka's Curse (USA, 2001) (IMDb entry)
11. Diapason (Italy, 2001) (IMDb entry)
12. Italiensk For Begyndere (Denmark, 2000) (IMDb entry)
13. Amerikana (USA, 2001) (IMDb entry)
14. Joy Ride (Switzerland, 2001) (IMDb entry)
15. Camera (movie) (USA, 2000) (IMDb entry)
16. Bad Actors (USA, 2000) (IMDb entry)
17. Reunion (movie) (USA, 2001) (IMDb entry)
18. Et Rigtigt Menneske (Denmark, 2001) (IMDb entry)
19. Når Nettene Blir Lange (Norway, 2000) (IMDb entry)
20. Strass (Belgium, 2001) (IMDb entry)
21. En Kærlighedshistorie (Denmark, 2001) (IMDb entry)
22. Era Outra Vez (Spain, 2000) (IMDb entry)
23. Resin (movie) (USA, 2001) (IMDb entry)
24. Security, Colorado (USA, 2001) (IMDb entry)
25. Converging With Angels (USA, 2002) (IMDb entry)
26. The Sparkle Room (USA, 2001) (IMDb entry)
27. Come Now (USA)
28. Elsker Dig For Evigt (Denmark, 2002) (IMDb entry)
29. The Bread Basket (USA, 2002) (IMDb entry)
30. Dias De Boda (Spain, 2002) (IMDb entry)
31. El Desenlace (Spain, 2004) (IMDb entry)
32. Se Til Venstre, Der Er En Svensker (Denmark, 2003) (IMDb entry)
33. Residencia (Chile, 2004) (IMDb entry)
34. Forbrydelser (Denmark, 2004) (IMDb entry)
35. Cosi x Caso (Italy, 2004) (IMDb entry)
36. Amateur Dramatics (movie) (UK/Denmark)
37. Gypo (UK, 2005) (IMDb entry)
38. Mere Players (USA)
39. el ultimo lector (Mexico)
40. Lazy Sunday Afternoons (UK)
41. Lonely Child (Canada, 2005) (IMDb entry)
42. DarshaN (USA)
43. 11:09 (USA)
44. Vince Conway (UK)
45. Regret Regrets (USA)
46. Perspective (UK)
47. Godinne van die Grondpad (South Africa)
48. Giles sucks (Luxembourg)
49. Michelle, Gilles, Kim (Luxembourg)
50. autobahne (Turkey)
51. A Cool Day in August (USA)
52. Shaolin Warrior (movie) (USA)
53. Chip Off the Ol` Blockbuster (USA)
54. Et rigtigt menneske (Denmark)
55. Picnic and a stroll (USA)
56. To be announced (Australia)
57. Bugbusters (Germany)
58. Carpe Diem (movie) (Australia)
59. Colori (Italy)
60. D. (movie) (Italy)
61. Evoque - Reality Show (Italy)
62. A Promise (movie) (USA)
63. Abortion (movie) (USA)
64. Water Wine (Canada)
65. The Smokestack Wager (Canada)
66. Work all day (Canada)
67. Premier (movie) (Hungary)
68. DOGumentario ITALIA (Italy)
69. Tenderete (Spain)
70. Funerale di Famiglia (Italy)
71. Beauty and The Hitman (Denmark)
72. Heaven and... (Denmark)
73. Does it hurt? (Macedonia)
74. Frankie (movie) (England)
75. The pompoulous adventures of fratases cubilotes (Spain)
76. Los perritos (Mexico)
77. R.U.M.B.A (Colombia)
78. One of These Mornings (Scotland)
79. l`interprétention (France)
80. A Woman Under the Influence (movie) (USA)
81. Untitled Dogme (USA)
82. Nobody Wants Your Film (USA)

The Celebration (original Danish title: Festen) (1998) is an acclaimed Danish movie, directed and written by Thomas Vinterberg, which centers around the resolving of deep family issues. ... The Idiots (Danish: Idioterne) is a 1998 Danish film directed by Lars von Trier. ... Mifunes Last Song (Danish: Mifunes sidste sang Swedish: Mifune), 1999, is the third film to be made according to the Dogme 95 rules. ... Mifunes Last Song (Danish: Mifunes sidste sang Swedish: Mifune), 1999, is the third film to be made according to the Dogme 95 rules. ... The King Is Alive (2000) is the fourth film to be done according to the Dogme 95 rules. ... Julien Donkey-Boy (1999) is the sixth film to be made under the self-imposed rules of the Dogme 95 manifesto. ... Italian for Beginners is a 2000 feature film directed by Lone Scherfig. ...

See also

• minimalism
• realism
• dogma00

This article is about on art and design. ... Realism in art and literature is the depiction of subjects as they appear, without embellishment or interpretation. ... The dogma00 manifesto was a post-Luddite guideline for making computer-based rhythm music. ...

External links

• Official Dogme95 website
• GreenCine primer on Dogme95