06/09/2002 - It's no longer necessary to ask Lars von Trier & Company permission to make a Dogma film. Now anyone can make an Idiots

Filmmakers no longer need to ask for permission before shooting a Dogma film. The decision to close the Dogma Office or dogmesekretariet came after four of the Danish filmmakers who signed the Dogma Manifesto in 1995, Lars von Trier, Thomas Vinterberg, Soren Kragh-Jacobsen and Kristian Levring, decided to explore different forms of cinematographic expression. They felt there no longer was a need to protect the Dogma label. Despite criticism from eminent filmmakers like Ingmar Bergman, who considered the Dogma movement to be a mere publicity stunt, the Spartan conditions under which films were made gave rise to some interesting results.
Fans of Dogma will rejoice in the news that the International Free Film Festival of Bologna and the Danish Film Institute are co-hosting a review entitled “Dogma and Therebouts” from 9-17 September in Bologna’s Massimo Cinema. On 12 September Antonio Domenici, who directed Italy’s one Dogma film, Diapason wil meet the public.