家宴

‘There is also another reason, which may actually apply to Danish film and me, and which is very much a product of Danish film culture. I think that it has been very hard to liberate oneself from a film convention that possesses many qualities, but which in many ways envelopes you and weighs you down. Thomas Vinterbergsaid this in an interview about Festen, he talked about the reason why they set the Dogme rules. I believethe born of Dogme 95 is not an coincidence. It is kind of rebellion and dark humor. Iwant to talked about this and explain my personal understanding of Thomas Vinterberg’s words.

(BABETTE'S FEAST 1987)

The decade from 1980 to 1990 was probably one of the most important moments in the development of Danish film. The Danish government makes the strategies called ‘national film culture’ at the second half of 1980s. The annual subsidy of €67 million for films industry is based on this strategy (Cecilie, 2014). Compares to other country in Europe, the level of direct aid to film industry is above the average(Cecilie, 2014).You can even say that this is actuallythe Utopia of film. With investment and protection from the government, Denmark actually made many great films in this decade. However, with the great environment comes the invisible limitations. The huge market for film has also made it hard for filmmakers to create and express themselves as they wish, but instead they need to give what the audience want to see at cinema. And because of the impact of Hollywood more and more people joined the film industry. More than thirty people circling around the director, lights and assist director and many stuffs. The job of a director seems more like a man who try to makes a huge machine works instead of creates something. The creators enjoins the benefits but they cannot liberate themselffrom this situation in the mean time.

Until 1995, a group of young man stands out and built the Dogme 95. Then Festen as the first Dogme film was born. Being the first Dogme film means that Festen needs to abide by the 10 rules. Of course this rules are harsh and somehow deliberate things. But compares to the rules of film production now, it seems not that harsh. The fact is that the Dogme 95 try to make creating as the core not technology by go downs to a totally different way of film making. They refused the technology roughly and try to show what a film should be: a story.

(FESTEN mistake scene)

(Mistake scene in Idiot)

Very interesting things is one scene in Festen. If you are carefully enough, you may find a stick with camera which is reflected in a mirror. Obviously you should use your own hands to finish the shooting in Dogme film. But the director still did this for a more beautiful story. Consider other mistake scene in Dogme film.This tells that even they fight the new technology, but they still want a good film and story. Dogme is more about a spirit not absolute rebellion. Film is creating by the people, not the technology. 1995 is the year, it can not be late no more for the film production.

Interview from:

http://www.dogme95.dk/interviews/interview-with-thomas-vinterberg/

Reference:

Givskov, C. (2014). Institutionalization through Europeanization: the Danish film policy reforms of the 1980s and 1990s. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 20(3), 281–295. https://doi-org.ez.xjtlu.edu.cn/10.1080/10286632.2013.786058