Thomas Vinterberg's Festen (<i>The Celebration)</i>

Danish filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg's searing film Festen (&#65533;The Celebration&#65533;) was the first film from the Dogme 95 stable. Adhering to Dogme's cinematic purity &#65533; no artificial lighting, no superficial action, no credit for the director, and only handheld cameras for equipment &#65533; Festen was a commercial and critical success, winning the Jury Prize at Cannes in 1998 and garnering worldwide attention.The film is set at the sixtieth birthday party of Helge, the wealthy patriarch of a large Danish family. The birthday festivities take a turn when Helge&#65533;s son Christian raises a toast and denounces Helge for having raped and abused him as a child, along with his twin sister, who recently committed suicide. The film explores the escalating consequences of Christian&#65533;s announcement, from the stunned dinner party&#65533;s collective denial, to violence, to an unexpected catharsis.