Yesterday I came across a trailer for a new film by Lars Von Trier — it’s called The Antichrist. It reminded me how excited I was by the Dogme 95 films when they first started to appear; von Trier was one of the creators and signatories to the manifesto. Today I found the following clip from Festen, the first Dogme film, and to my mind, the best. Festen is about a family reunion that goes horribly awry when the successful restauranteur, Christian, confronts his father with allegations of abuse. The story has the power of a Greek tragedy (it was subsequently adapted for the stage) and director Thomas Vinterberg does not make a single false move in bringing together the complex strands of the many personal stories of the main characters.

Harrowing, but at the same time, strangely beautiful; over 10 years since it was released, Festen seems just as fresh and vital a film as ever.

more about “Festen – Dead Girl“, posted with vodpod