FRIDAY 21 NOV – ORE 18:00 – SALA 5

DOGVILLE
DENMARK – 2003 – color -170’

Direction: Lars von Trier
Screenplay: Lars von Trier
Cinematography: Anthony Dod Mantle
Editing: Molly Malene Steensgaard
Production design: Peter Grant
Costumes: Manon Rasmussen
Cast: Nicole Kidman (Grace), Paul Bettany (Tom Edison Jr.), Lauren Bacall (Ma Ginger), Ben Gazzara (Jack Mckay), James Caan (The Big Man), Philip Baker Hall (Thomas Edison Sr.)
Producer: Vibeke Windeløv
Production: Zentropa Productions
Italian distribution: Movie Inspired

Synopsis
It’s the early 1930s in the United States, and a young beautiful woman named Grace is on the run, being pursued by a group of gangsters. She arrives in Dogville, a small provincial town. Before long, her presence will disrupt the peaceful existence of this local community. Encouraged by Tom, the towns people agree to hide her, while in return, she accepts to work for them. But when her pursuers begin to search the town more adamantly, the inhabitants start demanding more from her. However, Grace has a secret,and soon Dogville will regret having turned its back on her.

critical note
“(…) In a certain sense, Dogville overturns Dogma, the 1995 manifesto: instead of authentic locations, natural light, and spontaneous actors, it features conventional theater-like staging, artificial lighting, and a superstar. The film is divided into nine chapters and a prologue, like a novel, and it is narrated by an omniscient voice. Perhaps these are the linguistic tools of a new artistic phase, which Lars calls ‘fusion cinema’ (cinema + theater + literature), perfectly suited to crafting a cruel yet magnificent parable about social relations. (…) .It’ a film worthy of the Palme d’Or, in which Von Trier draws out the best of Kidman’s talent: showing an angelic face, while gradually revealing all the ferocity within the character.”
(Roberto Nepoti, la Repubblica, May 20,2003)

main festivals & awards
2003 Festival di Cannes – Competition
2003 European Film Award: Best Director, Cinematographer
2004 Sofia IFF: Audience Award
2004 Bodil Awards: Best Film
2004 Cinema Writers Circle Awards, Spain: Best Foreign Film
2004 David di Donatello: Best European Film