Yesterday, a group of prominent German-language filmmakers unveiled a new German branch of the DOGMA 25 movement, with TrustNordisk set to handle international sales on the upcoming films made through it. The announcement was made at this year's Marché du Film (12-20 May).

The initiative, titled DOGMA 25 GERMANY, brings together five directors – İlker Çatak, Kurdwin Ayub, Nora Fingscheidt, Helene Hegemann and Tom Tykwer – who will each direct a feature film developed under a shared “vow of chastity” inspired by the original Dogme movement launched in Denmark in 1995 by Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg. The German initiative follows the launch of DOGMA 25 last year in Cannes by Danish filmmakers May el-Toukhy, Milad Alami, Annika Berg, Isabella Eklöf and Jesper Just (see the news).

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According to the manifesto, the films must adhere to ten creative rules aimed at encouraging “free and unpredictable cinema”. Some of the conditions are that scripts must be handwritten by the directors, at least half of each film must contain no dialogue, and the productions must avoid internet use during creative processes. Crews are limited to ten people behind the camera, productions must rely on existing objects, rather than newly manufactured materials, and each film has to be completed within one year.

“We are really excited that the DOGMA 25 initiative has now spread across the border to Germany, and with such a talented group of directors involved, we are very eager to see the creativity and stories they come up with,” stated Susan Wendt, managing director of TrustNordisk. “We are proud to be representing the films in this initiative as international sales agent.”

The participating directors collectively represent some of the most internationally recognised German-language auteurs of recent decades. Çatak broke through internationally with The Teachers' Lounge, which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best International Feature, before he won the Golden Bear earlier this year with Yellow Letters. Ayub gained attention with Sonne and followed it up with Moon, which premiered at Locarno.

Fingscheidt rose to prominence thanks to System Crasher, which won the Silver Bear at Berlin and became Germany’s Oscar submission, before moving into international productions including The Unforgivable and The Outrun. Hegemann made her feature debut with Axolotl Overkill, which screened at Sundance, while also building a parallel career as a novelist and theatre director.

Tykwer, meanwhile, remains one of Germany’s most internationally influential filmmakers thanks to works such as Run Lola Run, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer and the TV series Babylon Berlin. His latest feature, The Light, opened this year’s Berlinale.

The DOGMA 25 GERMANY initiative is being structured as a co-production between X Filme Creative Pool and Zentropa Germany. Producers involved include Jorgo Narjes, Uwe Schott and Tykwer for X Filme, alongside Solmaz Azizi, Louise Vesth and Tine Mikkelsen for Zentropa Germany. Çatak’s contribution will additionally be produced by Ingo Fliess through if…Productions.

The project has already secured several key industry partners. X Verleih will distribute the films in German-speaking territories, while ZDF and ARTE are expected to join as broadcasting partners. MOIN Film Fund has boarded as the first confirmed regional funding body.

The producers aim to establish base financing for all five projects while maintaining the manifesto’s emphasis on artistic independence and low-budget filmmaking.

Watch this space.