The series features 36 films in total, rolled out in thematic “six packs” the last Thursday of every other month. In addition to the 36 featured films, Alamo is also curating one of the largest collections of Danish films on the planet, many exclusive to Alamo on Demand.
This month we are celebrating the distinctly Danish film movement/manifesto Dogme 95 that burst forth from Danish auteurs Thomas Vinterberg and Lars Von Trier in 1995. They announced by gleefully passing out pamphlets to a befuddled audience at the rather orthodox “Cinema Towards its Second Century” conference in Paris.
Their idea was a “purification” of cinema, stripping away the artifice, technology, and, very pointedly, big studio influence. With no gimmicks, no post-production, no special effects, no sets, no soundtrack, and no artificial lighting, Dogme 95 films were intended to be a pure expression of the art of storytelling. Only a scant 31 films from 1998 to 2005 are officially recognized Dogme 95 films; the movement “disbanded” in 2005. But the influence, ideas and philosophy influenced countless filmmakers in the movement’s wake and helped to reshape the aesthetic of modern independent cinema.
The two centerpiece films are the first two films of the movement, directed by the founders of the movement: Thomas Vinterberg’s THE CELEBRATION and Lars Von Trier’s THE IDIOTS. THE IDIOTS, THE CELEBRATION and Dogme 95 #18 TRULY HUMAN are exclusively available on Alamo on Demand.
And a reminder, anyone who watches all 36 films in the series will be invited to a “Meet the Danes” party in Los Angeles or New York. Dates and details will be announced later, when gathering and parties don’t sound like alien concepts. Huge thanks to our partners at the Danish Film Institute for making this celebration possible.