The days of Dogme are over.

Ten years after the creation of the Dogme manifesto and with the tenth Danish film, its all over, In Your Hands Forbrydelser directed by Annette K. Olesen is officially the last certifiable Dogme feature film.

I can remember seeing Celebration Festen directed by Thomas Vinterberg, the first official Dogme film for the first time, and I remember being surprised and shocked at the almost amateurishness of the camera work, editing etc, it says something for the film that I thought it was outstanding.

No 2 of course was the controversial The Idiots - Idioterne from Lars von Trier, this was the film that due to its subject matter and content brought The Dogme Manifesto into the limelight, all the press negativity actually made the film more successful.

As for Dogme 34 In Your Hands Forbrydelser while certainly not as controversial as the first few it's not a bad way to finish, if of course it is the end! you never can tell, after all there are still plenty of shorts being made under the rules and who needs a certificate anyway?

I'll do a proper review for In Your Hands Forbrydelser and link it to this post.


The Dogme manifesto or "Vow of Chastity."

"I swear to submit to the following set of rules drawn up and confirmed by DOGME 95: 


1. Shooting 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 shot). 
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; shooting must take place where the film 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 film format must be Academy 35 mm. 
10. The director must not be credited. 
Furthermore I swear as a director to refrain from personal taste! I am no longer an artist. I swear to refrain from creating a "work", as I regard the instant as more important than the whole. My supreme goal is to force the truth out of my characters and settings. I swear to do so by all the means available and at the cost of any good taste and any aesthetic considerations.
Thus I make my VOW OF CHASTITY." 
Copenhagen, Monday 13 March 1995

On behalf of DOGME 95

Lars von Trier Thomas Vinterberg 

Im sure weve all seen a few of the Dogme films, Ive still got a couple on DVD to watch including the Korean film Interview Dogme No 7, so with the end of an era and an ideal, what are your thoughts?

For the official Dogme site please use the link:

Official Dogme Site

Cheers Trev