Director: Thomas Vinterberg, 15, 1998

Stars: Ulrich Thomsen, Henning Moritzen

Retail DVD

Nerve-shredding, heart-breaking and leavened with icy humour, this Danish drama is the one masterpiece to emerge from the Dogme 1995 movement. Demanding the use of natural light and sound, handheld cameras and real locations, Dogme found its ideal match in the story of a family, gathering at a country house to celebrate the 60th birthday of their patriarch (Moritzen). When his eldest son (Thomsen) stands up, clears his throat and delivers the mother of all bombshells, the fall-out reveals both the humanity and the barbarity behind the gladrags and boozy smiles of his relatives.

Devastating and splendidly acted, it was inspired, Vinterberg reveals in the extras, by real-life events that were every bit as extraordinary.

DVD extras

Making-of, two featurettes

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