Dogme 95 Genre- How To Improvise
 "Cheers to my dad; a rapist and a murderer." —Festen
Introduction
A way of creating naturalistic films created in 1995 by Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg. There are a strict set of rules that must be followed for the movie to be certified as being Dogme 95.
Essence
- Intense Drama.
- Shot on location and with no props other than what is already there.
- Sound must be produced only by things happening at the location. Music only allowed if part of the scene.
- Wobbly because camera must be hand-held.
- No additional lighting allowed, except in poor lit areas where a single lamp can be attached to the camera.
- Film must be in the here and now. (The ethos is very similar to that of improv and in fact actors are often encouraged to improvise within their characters.)
Characteristics
| Where | Anywhere, but must be a real location as sets are not allowed. Normal everyday locations. |
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| When | Now. |
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| Who | Anyone. But characters must be realistic and contemporary. People with problems, such as mental or emotional. Alcoholics. |
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| What | Family dramas, arguments, bonding, dinners. Revealing secrets, deaths.
No superficial action: Murders, weapons, car chases, etc. |
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Examples (from Amazon)
Also known as: Dogma 95 |
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