Teater Utan Kayu showcases Dogma 95 'pure' movies
Joko Anwar, Contributor, Jakarta
Filmmakers who have joined the march against movies solely made for commercial purposes should check out the films to be screened at Teater Utan Kayu in East Jakarta from Feb. 21 to Feb. 23.
Shot under the "pure cinema" manifesto called Dogma 95, the movies were made by filmmakers who admitted to being sickened by certain trends in cinema today.
Dogma 95 is a collective of film directors co-founded by renowned Danish director Lars Von Trier in Copenhagen in 1995, who swore to submit to a set of rules drawn up and conformed by a movement called "The Vow of Chastity".
The basic rule is that the shooting must be done on location, with no additional props or sets. If a particular prop is necessary for the story, the filmmaker must find a location where this prop can be found.
Next, the sound of the movie should never be produced separately from the images or vice versa. If music is needed, it must be played on location. For example, in one of the movies produced under this manifesto, The Celebration, the music is provided by the live band that actually played during the shoot.
The movie must also be shot entirely with a hand-held camera on Academy 35mm color film, so the films can be shown in any theater in the world. Most of Dogma 95 movies are shot on digital video and then transferred to film.
In addition to the film specifications, special lighting is not acceptable. If there is too little light for exposure, the scene must either be cut or can be shot with a single lamp attached to the camera. Optical work and filters are also banned under Dogma 95 rules.
Superficial action, such as murder or rape, is also not permitted.
There is no temporal and geographical alienation under Dogma 95, which means that the story must take place in the here and now. This rule also means that genre movies are also not acceptable.
Dogma 95 also states that the director must not be credited, as they are sworn to refrain from their personal taste.
The movement may sound pretentious, and it continues to stir up controversy as it did when it was first introduced.
Controversy aside, this movement has already composed many movies to high critical acclaim for their originality and for successfully creating masterworks within a set of rules.
Local filmmakers, however, should consider this manifesto, which offers a method that does not require a big budget, as they rely on the story, acting and creativity to produce a film with limited resources.
Dogma 95 movies which are scheduled to be shown at Teater Utan Kayu are:
* The Celebration (Original title Festen. Directed by Thomas Vinterberg, 1998): Critically praised movie about a party thrown by friends and family to celebrate an old man's sixtieth birthday. When his eldest son gives the opening toast, the hysteria begins.
Highly acclaimed for its powerhouse performance, incredibly moving story and realistic hand-held camerawork, the movie won the Jury Prize at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. (Friday, Feb. 21, 7 p.m.)
* The Idiots (Original title Idioterne. Directed by Lars Von Trier, 1998): A bunch of perfectly intelligent young people decide to pretend to be mentally retarded and start creating disturbance everywhere they go. (Saturday, Feb. 22, 4:30 p.m.)
* Mifune (Original title Mifunes Sidste Sang. Directed by Soren Kragh-Jacobsen, 1999): A Copenhagen businessman who is ashamed of his rural upbringing just married his boss's beautiful daughter. When he receives the news that his father has just died, he has to return to his late father's decrepit farm.
There, he meets his handicapped brother and reconnects with him by pretending to be the samurai actor Toshiro Mifune, a game they played when they were little boys. After the businessman places a newspaper ad for a housekeeper, an ex-prostitute applies for the job and immediately creates an emotional bond with him. (Saturday, Feb. 22, 7 p.m.)
* Julien Donkey-Boy (Directed by Harmony Korine, 1999): Schizophrenic boy Julien wanders the streets of New York City, trying to avoid his sadistic father (played German director Werner Herzog). Meanwhile, his sister is pregnant with his child.
This is the first American film made in accordance with Dogma 95. (Sunday, Feb. 23, 3 p.m.)
* Italian for Beginners (Original title Italiensk for begyndere. Directed by Lone Scherfig, 2000): A moving story about several lonely people living in a semi-provincial suburb in Denmark, who attend a beginner's course in Italian, trying to find romance. (Sunday, Feb. 23, 7 p.m.)
Dogma 95 discussion: A discussion about Dogma 95 films is also scheduled to be held on Sunday, Feb. 23 at 5 p.m. with the producer of Show Biz News Tam Notosusanto of MetroTV.
Komunitas Utan Kayu; Jl. Utan Kayu 68H, East Jakarta; Phone: 021-8573388