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Impact of Dogme95

Dogme 95 was a very impactful movement that would not have been possible without Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg. Since the start of the movement in 1995, lasting impacts have remained to this day around the world. The movement started in Denmark, but spread across the globe because of its different features that no one had ever thought of before, such as the use of handheld cameras. The basic elements of filmmaking that Dogme95 did not adopt caused the films to catch the eyes of critics and others. People had differing opinions on many of the films put out in this era. For example, The Idiots is one of the films that was extremely controversial because of the themes. Dogme95 emphasized authentic ways of filming movies and dismissed the typical extravagant Hollywood-type ways of making movies. Critics had much to say about many of the films during Dogme95 because many of the films were very controversial. These films had a very specific audience of people because of the themes and style of filming. The "Vows of Chastity" that Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg created served as the glue of Dogme95. Ensuring that all films followed the rules, such as filming on location, not using artificial lighting or sounds, and not crediting the director made Dogme95 movies distinct from any other films. In some way, Dogme95 rewinded history because of the rules that films had to follow, being not progressive technology wise, but also addressed themes that were not discussed at the time as well. New technology caused for films to be "Hollywood," and Dogme95 films were the opposite, not using any artificial software, editing, effects, or anything of the sort. Overall, Dogme95 has a lasting effect to this day and continues to be the topic of differing views among people.

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Sources

Britt, T. R. (2013). Dogme 95 and Disabled Identity on Film. Journal of Visual Art Practice, 12(3), 291–304. https://doi.org/10.1080/14702029.2013.10820083

Chiappe, B. (2020, November 12). Was dogme 95 a successful manifesto? was it a manifesto at all?. UCL Film & TV Society Journal. https://blog.uclfilm.com/2020/11/11/was-dogme-95-a-successful-manifesto-was-it-a-manifesto-at-all/

CloserTV. (2018, March 14). Lars von Trier is the director of it all - a behind the scenes interview with Lars von Trier. YouTube. https://youtu.be/e9thd3TgPi4

Film notes -festen (the celebration). (n.d.). https://www.albany.edu/writers-inst/webpages4/filmnotes/fnf99n5.html

Gray, C. (2023, May 15). Where to begin with Dogme 95. BFI. https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/where-begin-with-dogme-95

Heckmann, C. (2022, October 21). Dogme 95 - A failed, radical experiment. StudioBinder. https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/dogme-95-rules-manifesto-films/

Merrick, J. (2022, August 30). Foreign filmmaking crash course: The 10 rules of “dogme 95”, the Danish Film Movement. Collider. https://collider.com/rules-danish-film-movement-dogme-95/

Simons, J. (2008). Von Trier’s Cinematic Games. Journal of Film & Video, 60(1), 3–13. https://doi.org/10.1353/jfv.2008.0003

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Popular Films

Popular Films of Dogme 95

Festen was the first film of the Dogme95 movement, released by Thomas Vinterberg, in 1998. It was a Danish film, translated into “The Celebration” in English. This film went along with the rules of Dogme95. For example, there was no set in the filming of Festen. Everything was authentic, adhering to the rules that von Trier and Vinterberg created for Dogme95.  The film highlights minimalism while telling a captivating story.

“The Idiots” was a film directed by Lars von Trier in 1998 that fell under the Dogme95 criteria as well. Again, this film is shot with a handheld camera, under the manifesto of Dogme95.At times, the camera man can be seen in the shot, which some critics believed was “sloppy,” while others understood this was what this movement was all about. It also tests themes of societal norms that typical Hollywood productions tended to stay away from. The unethical nature of the film was shocking to many. This film was an excellent example of how Dogme95 pushed boundaries that others never dared to.  

Both of these films were shown at the Cannes Film Festival in 1998. Festen won the Jury Prize that year at the festival as well.

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Co-founders

Dogme95 was the idea of Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier in 1995. He was a very influential person in the world of cinematography. Von Trier is known as being a “manipulator” to modern cinema, pushing limits that no one had ever done before. When he announced his idea of Dogme95, he read his list of rules in front of a crowd at a theater. Some say that von Trier is egotisical, others view him as brilliant. All in all, Lars von Trier emphasized realism in his films. The Dogme95 movement would not have been made possible with Lars von Trier recruiting help from Thomas Vinterberg. The two directors would go on to put out many movies, and when other people put out movies under the Dogme95 label, the two would be the ones to approve of this. Films under Dogme95 had to follow the list of ten rules that von Trier and Vinterberg created. In 2005, Lars von Trier closed his chapter of the Dogme95 era and moved on to other projects. Both Vinterberg and von Trier continued to incorporate the themes of Dogme95 into their work after the era came to a close.

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Rules of Dogme95

Lars von Trier set up a list of ten rules for all filmmakers to follow in the era of Dogme95. He titled them the “Vow of Chastity.”

The film must be shot on location- there should be no extra props, lighting, etc.

Sound must be natural- even inserted music was not allowed in these films. If music was in a scene, it had to be played while the scene was being shot. There also was no added sound effects in the films.

Hand held cameras are a must. Under this rule highlighted the idea that stunts with wires or drones were off limits. The camera being hand held kept it authentic and versatile. The point of this type of filming allowed for the camera to follow the action quickly and not stage anything.

No added lighting is allowed. Bad lighting was common for Dogme95 films.

No optical work- this kept the environment and setting authentic. Camera men were not allowed to add films to their lenses to change the look of the environment. Even the film title was generally inscribed in the set somewhere and filmed with the camera.

No superficial action like murder was allowed.

The film must take place in the present- no flashbacks or future perspectives.

No genre movies- no “geographical alienation.”

Film must be shot in Academy 35 mm

The director must not be credited- keeping the director anonymous was the final rule that Lars von Trier emphasized.

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What is Dogme95?

Dogme 95 was a film movement that changed the way films were put out to the public. The objective was to reshape what Hollywood was and return to smaller budgets, like independent film. Film directors von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg wanted to escape the commercial aspect of Hollywood and shift to an independent, low budget, and simple way of making movies. Starting in Denmark, the Dogme95 movement spread around the world. Dogme95 challenged themes and concepts that had not been acknowledged before. Sometimes, the films were “uncomfortable” to watch because of the “rules” that were to be followed when making a movie under the Dogme95 category. There were many rules that filmmakers were to follow in this era that von Trier and Vinterberg curated. The ten rules of Dogme95 layed out a foundation for films to come. Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg shaped rules for filmmakers to follow when curating movies under the Dogme95 realm.

This video gives a broad overview to the history and general information about Dogme95.