“Filmmaking must always be linked to a certain degree of risk.” This is the philosophy of Dogme 95, a collective of film directors born in 1995 in Copenhagen, when Lars von Trier (Dancer in the Dark) and other directors penned a semiserious manifesto demanding a cinematic “vow of chastity” aimed at countering the world’s glut of slick, manipulative, overproduced films. Avoiding the “trickery” of special effects, soundtrack music compositions, shifts in narrative, and high-concept, explosive-genre films, Dogme 95 seeks truth and a return to basics through location shooting, natural sound, and hand-held camera work made possible by today’s new, lighter, more portable digital technology. Some Dogme-influenced films have been successful, notably the highly profitable Blair Witch Project and the Academy Award-winning Boys Don’t Cry. Artistic movement or publicity stunt, the Dogme phenomenon is here explored from the perspective of producers, directors, and critics. The book also gives profiles of Dogme directors, assessments of the new technology, a list of Dogme films, a look at indie-film festivals, and comments from independent Hollywood directors on the pros and cons of digital technology and the future of filmmaking. A few features don’t add much, notably a satirical piece on the excesses of Dogme philosophy. The best feature is Anne Thompson’s fine summary, hailing Dogme as a new way of “rediscovering the unique power of film to communicate pure humanity.”
Digital Babylon: Hollywood, Indiewood and Dogme 95
