Thomas Vinterberg or the Tension between Normative Dogmatism and Aesthetic Liberation. An Analysis From the Perspective of Narrative Structure

In 1995, Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg spearheaded a radical cinematic movement by creating the Dogme 95 manifesto, which challenged the conventional aesthetics of filmmaking. This article explores the tension between the movement’s normative dogmatism and the aesthetic liberation it sought, focusing on Vinterberg’s narrative structures in Festen and The Hunt. Through an analysis of the director’s adherence to and reinterpretation of Dogme 95 principles, the study examines how these films navigate the balance between creative constraint and artistic self-expression.