BSA 206 - Screen Arts 2 (Week 2)

Provide a summary of the Dogme 95 Movement
A controversial, but influential movement, Dogme 95 gave birth to some incredibly important films, like Festen and Idioterne. Von Trier and Vinterberg started Dogme 95 in 1995 with this idea in mind: to return to "traditional values of story, acting, and theme, and excluding the use of elaborate special effects or technology." During that era, Hollywood films were on top with big budgets, and von Trier and Vinterberg wanted to show that budgets don't define quality. Dogme 95 wrote their manifesto and imposed a set of ten rules known as the "vow of chastity".

Who were the directors involved in the movement?
Thomas Vinterberg, Lars Von Trier, Søren Kragh-Jacobsen, Kristian Levring, Jean-Marc Barr, Harmony Korine

When did the movement end?
Dogme 95 ended in 2005 once its founders decided that the Vow was producing formulaic films, but its initial effects can't be denied.

Do you feel that imposed set of rules on film making would help in making a more "pure" film that improves the focus on story and character?
I feel that in today's filmmaking world many directors rely on special effects to make their film great. I agree with some of the rules of this film movement such as shooting on location but having handheld most of the time would make it hard for some to watch.