| Years active | 1995–2005 |
|---|---|
| Location | International, started in Denmark |
| Major figures | Lars von Trier, Thomas Vinterberg, Kristian Levring, Søren Kragh-Jacobsen, Jean-Marc Barr, Harmony Korine |
| Influences | Realism, French New Wave |
| Influenced | Mumblecore, New Puritans, Remodernist, Philippine New Wave |
Dogme 95 (Danish for "Dogma 95") is a 1995 avant-garde filmmaking movement founded by the Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, who created the "Dogme 95 Manifesto" and the "Vows of Chastity" (Danish: kyskhedsløfter). These were rules to create films based on the traditional values of story, acting, and theme, and excluding the use of elaborate special effects or technology. It was supposedly created as an attempt to "take back power for the directors as artists", as opposed to the studio.[1] They were later joined by fellow Danish directors Kristian Levring and Søren Kragh-Jacobsen, forming the Dogme 95 Collective or the Dogme Brethren. Dogme (pronounced [ˈtʌwmə]) is the Danish word for dogma.
The movement took Von Trier's first film under Zentropa-production Breaking the Waves as the main inspiration by ethos although the film breaks many of the movement's "rules".[2]