Five Danish filmmakers are picking the baton from the founders of Dogma 95 and launching Dogma 25 along with a new manifesto and ten “Castery Vows” to “protect the artistic integrity of the feature film and create space for uncompromising film storytelling.”
May El-thouky ("Queen", "Crown"), Mirad Alami ("Character", "The Dust Settled", Isabella Eklöf ("Holiday", "Karak"), Annika Berg ("Hurricane") and the rising talent Jesper will bring new revolutions.
Previously, Lars von Trier, Thomas Vinterberg, Søren Kragh-Jacobsen and Kristian Levring launched the campaign, which led to 212 Danish and international feature films including "Festivals", "Idiots", "Italians" beginners, and more.
"We celebrate Dogma 95, the filmmakers before us, and those who will follow. We stand together to defend artistic freedom as a shield to resist meaningless and powerlessness. Dogma 25 is a rescue mission and a cultural uprising."
“In a world where formulaic films based on algorithmic and artificial visual expressions are attracting attention, our mission is to represent flawed, distinct and human imprints. We advocate uncompromising and unpredictable uncompromising and unpredictable, and we strive to reduce the art of film to the super process.”
With the declaration and the oath of chastity, the five directors are committed to working within a structure that requires “immersion, restraint and artistic necessity.” The three core themes are “Back to physical reality”, “Aesthetic constraints”, because at least half of the film must be without dialogue, and “economic and geographical responsibility,” meaning that the film must be filmed in the event that the narrative takes place. It is acceptable only if the funds do not affect the content.
A groundbreaking announcement was announced today in the villa in Zentropa, which was attended by the collective and Dogma 25's main partners: Nordisk Film, DR and Nordisk Film Distifertion.
"In '95, we made the film in the certainty of peace and created an uprising against consistency. In '25, new dogmas were created, and now a world of war and uncertainty. We hope you can do your best when re-creating the Danish film forward."
Dogma 25 is an initiative by May El-Toukhy, who brings together five directors. In the second half of 2024, she contacted Zentropa to establish a “space for development, reflection and innovation.” Two managing directors of Zentropa, Louise Vesth and Sisse Graum Jørgensen, are responsible for the financing and launch of Dogma 25.
The Danish Film Academy is supporting the development of concepts and declarations and production, while Trustnordisk will oversee international sales and ensure the global distribution of the film.
Here is the whole declaration:
Dogma 25
Dogma 25 is a collection of filmmakers founded in Copenhagen in spring 2025. The purpose of our statement is to preserve the originality of the film and to have the opportunity to make the film the way we do.
The role of directors is increasingly becoming project managers, movie roles, and audience roles. Experimental practice is stifled by fear of adventure, which makes artistic exploration and silence suffocating. When the film is executed only without allowing organic development, it puts the art form in danger of functioning, obedience and therefore insignificant.
In a world where formulaic films based on algorithmic and artificial visual expression are attracting attention, our mission is to represent flawed, unique and human imprints. We advocate uncompromising and unpredictable, and we are beneficial to consumers working to reduce the power of film art with super processing.
By reducing production, we ensure that everyone on the team has a close relationship with the movie and its message. This will enhance collective responsibility for the film and each other. It also enables us to maintain flexibility that makes creative processes dynamic and intuitive, rather than purely execution.
We celebrate Dogma 95, all the filmmakers who come before us and those who will follow. Together, we defend artistic freedom as a shield to resist meaninglessness and powerlessness. Dogma 25 is a rescue mission and a cultural uprising.
To protect and preserve what we cherish, we here obey unfixed and indestructible rules called: the oath of chastity.
The oath of chastity
I swear to submit the following set of rules, confirmed by Doctrine 25:
1. The script must be original and handwritten by the director.
We force ourselves to write scripts by hand to develop the intuition that flows most freely from dreams and spreads it to paper by hand.
2. At least half of the movies must be without dialogue.
We stick to the filmmaking method of filmmaking because we believe in visual storytelling and have confidence in our audience.
3. In all creative processes, the Internet is unlimited.
We are committed to making movies that rely on real people in real reality, not in digital movies that inject algorithms.
4. We only accept funds without any changes to the content conditions.
We assume the responsibility of lowering our budget, so the team reserves the final decision in all artistic decisions.
5. There are no more than 10 people behind the camera.
We are committed to working closely to build trust and strengthen our shared vision.
6. The movie must be shot where the narrative takes place.
When we portray a position in a false angle, film becomes artificial and universal as an art form.
7. We do not allow makeup or manipulation of the face and body unless it is part of the narrative.
Just as we strive to keep the position authentic, we also want to portray the human body without filters. We celebrate - warts and all.
8. Everything related to filmmaking must be rented, borrowed, discovered or used.
We are committed to making movies using objects that already exist and abandoning the history and self-destructive culture of consumerism.
9. The film must be produced within no more than a year.
We avoid any lengthy process that hinders creative flow.