Dogma 25: Isabella Eklöf Among Group Of Danish Filmmakers Launching Refreshed Manifesto
Dogma isn’t dead!
In a packed presser this afternoon at the Zentropa villa in Cannes, filmmakers May el-Toukhy, Milad Alami, Annika Berg, Isabella Eklöf and Jesper Just announced that they are launching a rebranded Dogma manifesto, styled as Dogma 25, to “protect the artistic integrity of feature film and create space for uncompromising cinematic storytelling.”
The manifesto contains 10 new dogmas, and the filmmakers said they have taken a “new vow of chastity” to uphold the rules, which they explained are influenced by three central themes: a return to the physical reality, aesthetic restrain and economic and geographic accountability. You can read the full list of dogmas below.
No. 1 on the list compels each director to only work on screenplays that are original and handwritten by the director. The list demands that the internet is off limits in all creative processes, and the filmmakers must only accept funding with no content-altering conditions attached.
Dogma 25 arrives 30 years after the original Dogma 95, which included Lars von Trier, Thomas Vinterberg, Søren Kragh-Jacobsen and Kristian Levring. Films produced under the previous manifesto include such seminal European features as Festen (1998) and The Idiots (1998).
In their new manifesto, the Dogma 25 group said they “celebrate Dogma 95, the filmmakers who came before us, and those who will come after.”
“We stand together to defend artistic freedom as a shield against pointlessness and powerlessness. Dogma 25 is a rescue mission and a cultural uprising,” they wrote.
The manifesto’s preamble continues: “In a world where formulaic films based on algorithms and artificial visual expression are gaining traction, it is our mission to stand up for the flawed, distinct, and human imprint. We champion the uncompromising and unpredictable, and we fight against the forces working to reduce cinematic art to an ultra-processed consumer product.”
In response, Vinterberg and von Trier added in a statement: “In ’95, we made films in the certainty of peace. And created a revolt against conformity. In ’25, new dogmas are created, now in a world of war and uncertainty. We wish you the best of luck on your march toward reconquering Danish film.”
El-Toukhy is a director and screenwriter best known for her 2019 feature Queen of Hearts, which debuted at Sundance. Alami is behind the 2023 feature Opponent, which debuted at Berlin and was submitted as Sweden’s entry for the International Oscar. Berg is a filmmaker and visual artist. Her feature Team Hurricane (2017) won the Verona Film Club Award at Venice.
Eklöf made her directorial debut with the Sundance title film Holiday (2018). She also directed Kalak (2023), which won the Special Prize of the Jury at San Sebastian. She is also the co-writer of Ali Abbasi’s Border. Just is a video artist and filmmaker. He represented Denmark at the 55th Venice Biennale and has been the subject of numerous solo exhibitions, including Palais de Tokyo (Paris), Guggenheim (NYC), and Eye Filmmuseum (Amsterdam). His work is included in several permanent public collections such as MoMA, The Met, and Tate Modern.
