Festen (1998)

At Helge's 60th birthday party, some unpleasant family truths are revealed.

Director:

Thomas Vinterberg (uncredited)

Writers:

Thomas Vinterberg (screenplay), Mogens Rukov (screenplay)

Stars:

Ulrich Thomsen, Henning Moritzen, Thomas Bo Larsen

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 28 wins & 22 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ulrich Thomsen	...	Christian
Henning Moritzen	...	Faderen - Helge Klingenfeld
Thomas Bo Larsen	...	Michael
Paprika Steen	...	Helene
Birthe Neumann	...	Moderen - Else Klingenfeld
Trine Dyrholm	...	Pia
Helle Dolleris	...	Mette
Therese Glahn	...	Michelle
Klaus Bondam	...	Toastmasteren - Master of Ceremonies
Bjarne Henriksen	...	Kokken - Kim
Gbatokai Dakinah	...	Gbatokai
Lasse Lunderskov	...	Onklen - Uncle
Lars Brygmann	...	Receptionisten - Receptionist
Lene Laub Oksen	...	Søsteren - Sister
Linda Laursen	...	Birthe

Storyline

The Father turns 60. His family, which is a big one of the kind, gathers to celebrate him on a castle. Everybody likes and respects the father deeply...or do they? The youngest son is trying to live up to the father's expectations. He is running a grill-bar in a dirty part of Copenhagen. The oldest son runs a restaurant in France, while the sister is a anthropologist. The older sister has recently committed suicide and the father asks the oldest son to say a few words about her, because he is afraid he will break into tears if he does it himself. The oldest son agrees without argument. Actually he has already written two speeches. A yellow and a green one. By the table, he asks the father to pick a speech. The father chooses green. The oldest son announces that this is the Speech of Truth. Everybody laughs, except for the father who gets a nervous look on his face. For he knows that the oldest son is about to reveal the secret of why the oldest sister killed herself.

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Plot Keywords:

dogme 95 | speech | family secret | haunted by the past | secret | 

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Taglines:

Alle familier har en hemmelighed

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

14A

Did You Know?

Trivia

During the dinner with the speech, it was hard for the cameramen to fulfill the Dogme-rule about the cameras being handheld. The solution was to let some of the guests at the table hold the cameras themselves.

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Goofs

The sister takes the sheet from one of the chairs twice as she uncovers the furniture.

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Quotes

[first lines]
[subtitled version]
Christian Klingenfeldt: [on his cellphone] Christian speaking... Hi, I'm here now. I landed this morning. What? Er... Washed? I shaved at the airport if you must know. I shaved at the airport if you must know! I'm fine... right now I'm looking across the fields. At the land of my father. It's beautiful. It makes me want to move back for good, but that'd be problematical. I'll make it. Yes, I suppose it will be... shocking. What?... You're dropping out. O.K. Bye.

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Alternate Versions

The DVD also contains an alternative ending.

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Connections

Referenced in It's All About Love... og Thomas Vinterberg (2003)

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Soundtracks

Jeg har set en rigtig negermand
By Niels C. Andersen
Dacapo
c/o Warner/Chappell Music Denmark A/S

User Reviews

Just see it. Please see it.

Few movies are as uncomfortable to watch as this.

It feels sort of like a home movie but handles it a lot more naturalistically, yet somehow more creatively, than a lot of contemporary found footage.

Soap operas have nothing on this, limited resources come together into a perfectly crafted story of the things you only think happen to other people happening to you.

Details

Country:

Denmark Sweden

Language:

Danish German English

Release Date:

19 June 1998 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

Fête de famille

Filming Locations:

Sjælland, Denmark

Box Office

Budget:

$1,300,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$1,656,223

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,657,223

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nimbus Film Productions, Danmarks Radio (DR), Nordisk Film- & TV-Fond

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1