Three decades after the first and hugely influential Dogma wave, five filmmakers are initiating a new cinematic movement: DOGMA 25. It is a defiant response to current events and a marked opposition to the internet.

30 years after the original cinematic movement, a group of Danish and Swedish filmmakers have relaunched the avant garde Dogma 95, with a new manifesto that has been updated for the internet age.

“In a world where film is based on algorithms and artificial visual expressions are gaining traction, it’s our mission to stand up for the flawed, distinct and human imprint,” said May el-Toukhy, Milad Alami, Annika Berg and Isabella Eklöf and Jesper Just in a statement read at the Cannes Film Festival.

“We champion the uncompromising and unpredictable, and we fight against the forces working to reduce cinematic art to an ultra-processed consumer product.” 

Described in its manifesto as “a rescue mission and a cultural uprising”, Dogma 25 has been endorsed by the two best-known directors to emerge from the original Dogma movement: Thomas Vinterberg and Lars von Trier – as well as von Trier’s production company Zentropa. 

Both filmmakers said in a statement: “In ’95, we made films in the certainty of peace. And created a revolt against conformity. In ’25, new dogmas are created, now in a world of war and uncertainty. We wish you the best of luck on your march toward reconquering Danish film.” 

The Dogma 25 manifesto contains 10 new dogmas. The filmmakers said they have taken a “new vow of chastity” to uphold the rules, which they explained are influenced by three central themes: a return to the physical reality, aesthetic restrain, and economic and geographic accountability. 

The new manifesto only retains one of the original’s self-imposed rules (read on to see which one) and most challenging of the new rules is that Dogma 25 films must be made “in no more than a year”, and the use of the internet “is off limits in all creative processes”. 

Here is the full new manifesto:  

DOGMA 25 is a collective of filmmakers founded in Copenhagen in the spring of 2025. Our stated purpose is to preserve the originality of cinema and the opportunity to create film on its own terms. 

The role of the director has increasingly been reduced to that of project manager, the film to a commodity, and the audience to consumers. Experimental practice is stifled by fear of risk-taking, which suffocates artistic exploration and silences unique voices. When films are merely executed and not allowed to evolve organically, it puts the art form in danger of becoming functional, obedient and thereby irrelevant. 

In a world where formulaic films based on algorithms and artificial visual expression are gaining traction, it’s our mission to stand up for the flawed, distinct, and human imprint. We champion the uncompromising and unpredictable and we fight the forces working to reduce cinematic art to an ultra-processed consumer good. 

By scaling down production, we ensure that everyone on the team has an intimate relationship with the film and its message. This will enhance mutual trust and a sense of collective responsibility for the film and for each other. It also allows us to safeguard the flexibility that is vital in making a creative process dynamic and intuitive, rather than purely executive. 

The new initiative has been met with excitement, with Tine Fischer, the Director of The Danish Film Institute, saying: “Any system, even one that runs impeccably, needs examining. Needs challenging. Needs to cast a courageous look on itself. Throughout the last decades, Danish film has distinguished itself internationally with myriads of Academy and Cannes nominations and a unique position in our own market. We are known globally as a strong nation for film, and Danes here at home love Danish film. But no success has a lifetime guarantee.” 

She continued: “30 years ago, DOGMA 95 turned the eyes of the world toward Denmark and left a radical imprint on our national self image as a filmmaking nation. The people were few, the number of films limited, but the impact was huge. We need these brave artistic visions now more than ever. Visions befitting a new time – which is exactly what the new DOGMA 25 represents: A strong group of noticeably different filmmakers, who have collectively committed to artistic radicalism. How do we make films, how do we ensure our freedom of expression in a distinctly challenged geopolitical world, and how do we safeguard the singularity of art.” 

She added: “As a film institute, we are facing a time where our cultural contributions are tasked with ensuring state of the art Danish films – now and in the future. It’s not a simple task, but deep inside the task lies the ability, as a system, to make space for film as a free art form, for innovation and perspectives. This is why we are especially happy and proud to support DOGMA 25 in their early stage, both with concept development and the international launch in Cannes.” 

Source: Euronews, author: David Mouriquand, URL: https://www.euronews.com/culture/2025/05/19/a-cultural-uprising-what-is…