Dogma 25 Explodes at Cannes, Spearheaded by New Quintet Led by May el-Toukhy: ‘A Rescue Mission and a Cultural Uprising'
Five Danish filmmakers are picking up the baton from the founders of Dogma 95 and launching Dogma 25 along with a new manifesto and ten 'vows of chastity' to 'protect the artistic integrity of feature film and create space for uncompromising cinematic storytelling.'
May el-Thouky ('Queen of Hearts,' 'The Crown'), Milad Alami ('The Charmer,' 'When the Dust Settles'), Isabella Eklöf ('Holiday,' 'Kalak'), Annika Berg ('Hurricane') and rising talent Jesper Just will lead the new revolution.
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Previously, Lars von Trier, Thomas Vinterberg, Søren Kragh-Jacobsen and Kristian Levring kicked off the movement that resulted in 212 Danish and international feature films, including 'The Celebration,' 'The Idiots,' 'Italian for Beginners' and more.
'We 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,' stated new leaders.
'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.'
With the manifesto and the vow of chastity, the five directors commit to working within a structure that requires 'immersion, restraint and artistic necessity.' Three core themes are 'Back to the physical reality,' 'Aesthetic restraint,' as at least half of the film must be without dialogue, and 'economic and geographic accountability,' meaning the film must be shot where the narrative takes place. Funding may only be accepted if it doesn't impact the content.
The groundbreaking announcement was made today at Zentropa's villa, attended by the collective and Dogma 25's key partners: Nordisk Film, DR and Nordisk Film Distribution.
In a statement, von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg said: 'In '95, we made films in the certainty of peace and created a revolt against conformity. In '25, new dogmas were created, now in a world of war and uncertainty. We wish you the best of luck on your march toward reconquering Danish film.'
Dogma 25 is an initiative of May el-Toukhy, who brought together the five directors. In late 2024, she reached out to Zentropa to establish the initiative as 'a space for development, reflection and innovation.' Louise Vesth and Sisse Graum Jørgensen, two of Zentropa's managing directors, are in charge of the financing and launch of Dogma 25.
The Danish Film Institute is providing support for the development of the concept and manifesto as well as production, while TrustNordisk will oversee international sales and ensure a wide global distribution for the films.
Here's the manifesto in its entirety:Dogma 25 is a collective of filmmakers founded in Copenhagen in the spring of 2025. Our stated purpose is to preserve the originality of cinema and the opportunity to create film on its own terms.
The role of the director has increasingly been reduced to that of project manager, the film to a commodity, and the audience to consumers. Experimental practice is stifled by fear of risk-taking, which suffocates artistic exploration and silences unique voices. When films are merely executed and not allowed to evolve organically, it puts the art form in danger of becoming functional, obedient and thereby irrelevant.
In a world where formulaic films based on algorithms and artificial visual expression are gaining traction, it's our mission to stand up for the flawed, distinct, and human imprint. We champion the uncompromising and unpredictable and we fight the forces working to reduce cinematic art to an ultra-processed consumer good.
By scaling down production, we ensure that everyone on the team has an intimate relationship with the film and its message. This will enhance mutual trust and a sense of collective responsibility for the film and for each other. It also allows us to safeguard the flexibility that is vital in making a creative process dynamic and intuitive, rather than purely executive.
We celebrate Dogma 95, all 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.
To protect and preserve what we hold dear, we hereby submit to the unflinching and unbreakable set of rules called: THE VOW OF CHASTITY.I vow to submit to the following set of rules drawn up and confirmed by Dogma 25:We compel ourselves to write the script by hand in order to nurture the kind of intuition that flows most freely from the dream, channeled through the hand onto the paper.We insist on a cinematic approach to filmmaking because we believe in visual storytelling and have faith in the audience.We commit to produce the films relying on real people within our physical reality – rather than in a digital one infused with algorithms.We assume responsibility for keeping budgets down so the team retains final say in all artistic decisions.We commit to working in close collaboration to build trust and strengthen our shared vision.Film as an art form becomes artificial and generic when we portray a location in a false light.Just as we strive to maintain the authenticity of the location, we also want to portray the human body without a filter. We celebrate it – warts and all.We commit to making films using objects that already exist and renounce the ahistorical and self-destructive culture of consumerism.We abstain from any lengthy processes that stand in the way of creative flow.
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