Festen

Thomas Vinterberg, Denmark, 1998, 106 minutes

Festen is the first film shot according to the rules of the Dogme 95 Manifesto, which shook the world of film in the 1990s. It was written by Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg and then signed by two more directors - Soren Kragh-Jackobsen and Kristian Levring. The idea of the manifesto, invented by a few filmmakers tired with the complicated film production system, was to "peel" film of its glamour and start an intellectual game with the language of cinema. The "vow of chastity" included in the Manifesto contained 10 rules that prohibited the Dogme-film-makers to use i.e. artificial lighting, post-production sound, and demanded the use of hand-held cameras etc.

The basic idea in Festen is simple but shocking - at a "Godfather"-like family reunion, the eldest son of Helge, who is celebrating his 60th birthday, reveals that when he and his sisters were kids, they were sexually molested by their father. This scandalous statement brings about a lot of tensions and mixed reactions from the guests. Every minute of the film reveals complex interrelations between them and their shameful secrets. The spectators engage in the film and quickly forget about the grainy picture and shaky camera. Even the most persistent observers stop looking for the moments in which Vinterberg breaks the Dogme rules and are sucked in by it and constantly think: is my family like that as well?

The artistic values of Dogme 1: Festen were world-appreciated and the film was awarded a Special Jury Prize in Cannes in 1998. This modest film shot with a video camera according to the Vow of chastity struck everybody with its original form and powerful emotional load. Even now, 10 years after the rules were invented, it's hard to find a better Dogme film.

Review by Jan Nazcewski
Written for EUFS Programme Autumn 2005

"My father is a very clean man, I thought you should know that."

In a country hotel the guests gather for the celebration of the 60th birthday of Helge, the patriachial owner, the first suicide of one of his daughters. As might be expected, there are some skeletos in the closet abd tensions within the family which will ensure that not everything goes according to plan.

Festen (meaning The Celebration) is a film about families, the difficult relationships within them and the limits of acceptable behaviour. Like Peter Mullan's Orphans it uses humour to alleviate the bleakness of the subject matter, mostly a black version of the social comedy of films such as Eat Drink, Man Woman along with some lampooning of formal ways of doing things.

This lampooning is perhaps inspired by the fact that Festen is itself something of a formal exercise. This was the first film produced under the rules of the Dogme 95 manifesto, which rejects most technical aids to filmmaking, restricting filming to being shot in chronological order using hand held cameras, with no artificial lighting or post recorded sound. This could be a recipe for disaster, films which set out to acheive some technical goal often sem to forget about everything else (Kubrick's Barry Lyndon for example), but here the filmmakers rise to the challenge they have set themselves. The script and acting are both superb; beautifully judged and precise. After a few minutes of adjustment (particularly during the initial overlit outdoor scenes) the effects of the restrictions become insignificant. Indeed, the filmmakers manage to create and use some "special effects" with a good deal more aplomb than most big-budget blockbusters. In the end, the only really intrusive effect of the Dogma rules is the rather pretentious "Certificate of Authenticity" which precedes the film.

A sensitive and suprisingly life affirming study of human nature.

Review by Mark Brown
Written for EUFS Programme Autumn 2002