Thomas Vinterberg's Festen (The Celebration). C. Claire Thomson

Danish filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg's searing film Festen (�The Celebration�) was the first film from the Dogme 95 stable. Adhering to Dogme's cinematic purity � no artificial lighting, no superficial action, no credit for the director, and only handheld cameras for equipment � 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�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�s announcement, from the stunned dinner party�s collective denial, to violence, to an unexpected catharsis.