Using Jack Stevenson's Dogme Uncut to gain a better understanding of Festen, by Robbie Vacik

     A cold viewing of Festen offered a good amount of material upon which to reflect, but Dogme Uncut  was an important source for gaining a deeper understanding of the film.
     The intimate nature of Festen led me to get involved in the story, which caused me not to think outside of it and consider the broader context. Jack Stevenson's section on Festen offered context and details that greatly deepened my understanding and appreciation of the film.
     An interesting piece of information is how the film's story came about. Vinterberg was made aware of a radio show where a man called in and confessed that he and his twin sister had been molested by their father as children. The man, who went by the name of Allan, claimed that he had revealed the abuse at his father's 60th birthday party. In case you are unfamiliar with Festen's story, the film's narrative mirrored that of the radio confession. Festen, it seemed, had a basis in reality. The interesting part of the story comes about when Allan was tracked down. Interviews revealed that the man who called into the radio had fabricated the story. His confession was a fiction, which in turn was used as the basis for yet another fiction in film form.
     Beyond providing interesting facts, Stevenson's writing on Festen also contributes to a more sophisticated reading of the film's message. The characters are interesting in their own right, but the also serve as a critique of Danish society. In fact, the entire family is supposed to be a microcosm of Danish society. The conflict in the film represents the class struggle and stubborn tradition that Vinterberg identified in his homeland. His script also was a critique of Danish complacency with Nazi policies, an idea I would not have considered given the chronological separation between World War II and Festen. The film has a black character who is dating the protagonist's sister. This creates tension in the family because of deep racism. The character is not only used to show the families intolerance, but also represents the immigrant in Denmark. This points to globalization in the midst of an intimate family drama.
     Dogme Uncut provided a great deal of context and analysis that helped me gain a much deeper understanding of Feston and the messages which it was used to convey. 

Stevenson, Jack. Dogme Uncut: Lars von Trier, Thomas Vinterberg, and the Gang That Took on Hollywood. Santa Monica, CA: Santa Monica Press LLC, 2003.