Film Review - Festen

'Festen', translated into English as The Celebration, is a Danish Film produced by Nimbus Film. Directed by Thomas Vinterberg, it was the first film to be made under Dogme 95, and was inspired by a hoax broadcast on a Danish Radio Station.

The film tells the story of a family gathering to celebrate their father's 60th birthday. At the dinner, the eldest son publicly accuses his father of sexually abusing both himself and his twin sister (who has recently committed suicide).

Festen contains many different themes within the story line including racism, abuse, love, and the relationships within a family. The combination of comedy and tragedy is portrayed with a sense of ambiguity resulting in the audience being left unsure of the intended tone throughout.

As the film was made under Dogme 95 it meant that there were specific production and narrative limitations in several areas of the films production. Dogme 95 protests against expensive Hollywood-style film-making, therefore banning post-production techniques such as sound editing. Dogme 95 also required the entire film to be shot on a hand-held camera. Festen was shot on a Sony DCR-PC7E Handycam on standard Mini-DV cassettes. The outcome of the cinematography was deliberately 'amateur', sometimes 'clumsy' in appearance and the desired 'family home movie' feel was achieved.

The script is in itself a work of art; full of mystery and uncertainty, therefore drawing the audience into and emotional experience full of tension and apprehension throughout the film. The story attempts to dissuade and confuse everything the viewer thinks about the characters and how the plot will unfold, resulting in a lavishly unpredictable plot.

"Every family has a secret"

I personally enjoyed the film, although the language and some scenes were very strong at times and possibly inappropriate. However I liked the fact that the film was unpredictable, therefore compelling and riveting entertainment for the viewer.

See trailer here: Festen 1998

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