Det perfekte menneske | |
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Directed by | Jørgen Leth |
Written by | Jørgen Leth |
Starring | Claus Nissen Majken Algren Nielsen Jørgen Leth (voice) |
Cinematography | Henning Camre |
Release date |
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Running time | 13 minutes |
Country | Denmark |
Language | Danish |
The Perfect Human (Danish: Det perfekte menneske) is a cult short film in black and white by Jørgen Leth[1] lasting 13 minutes about a middle class Danish couple performing everyday rituals.[2] The film examines human behavior in a suave, pseudo-scientific way.[3] It depicts well-dressed actors, a man and a woman, both labelled 'the perfect human' in a detached manner, 'functioning' in a blank boundless room, as though they were subjects in a zoo.[3][1] The tone of world-weary detachment is created through a voice-over providing comments on their mundane actions.[1]
The film was later seen in five different versions when Leth was challenged by filmmaker Lars von Trier, which were compiled in The Five Obstructions.[3][1]