The Dogville Confessions – Sami Saif

by Simon Omnes, posted in Actor, Art, artists, Films, Reviews

A movie that films the filming of a classic. And of its crew; through all their ups and downs.

Any Lars von Trier fan knows of his masterpieces Breaking the Waves, Dancer in the Dark, Antichrist, and Dogville. But what so many might not realize is how he documents extensively their conception. Indeed, through the DVDs and Blu-Rays of his films, Lars reveals a lot of his movie-making reality, which some people like Woody Allen and Luc Besson do not display in their releases as they prefer the films to speak for themselves. For instance, in many DVD/Blu-Rays releases, Lars does commentaries (which Luc and Woody don’t do), shows the production of his filming and special effects (which Luc does to a certain extent), and many great elements that make his craft more accessible and human. And in the European release of Dogville, he has shown this superb documentary.

Dogville Confessions. A film that I wish the North American DVDs/Blu-Rays of the film would present as it presents important elements about Lars and his work. Filmed by Sami Saif, this documentary shows Dogville‘s production from the start till the end, including the Trollhättan press conference which happened during filming.

As such, this film breaks apart the romantic notion that movies are done in an instant and with luxurious caravans/studios. Though Dogville was filmed in 6 weeks, as stated in the movie’s bonuses, we discover here in this documentary the natural and normal process of a movie. How it happens through long hours of careful filming, during instants that expose people’s true natures. Flaws and qualities. And in Lars, a director who is humble, down-to-earth, human, who loves his crew, who takes time to speak with his actors, and who reassures them when necessary. Indeed, at one instance, Nicole Kidman, after filming a violent scene with Stellan Skarsgard where his character assaults her, asked Lars’s help. Concerned and worried, the director walked up to her and asked her what was wrong, and she asked him “How long is the break?” in a very sad way, which showed she wanted her director’s reassurance and help after going through that scene which exhausted her more than she expected. Asking Lars for help, to console her. So he took time to hug her and reassure her.
And you can see that she needed that hug as she rested her head on his shoulder. A moment that shows how he takes time to listen to his people, to their worries, and their needs, and that he hugs people only during appropriate and respectful circumstances. Which proves how much he cares for his actors and their well-being.

And Nicole also exhibited the same worry for him when during filming, Lars experienced a panic attack: so Paul Bettany (who played Tom in Dogville) and she hugged him while reassuring him on camera.

In sum, through this documentary, Lars exhibits a good-natured behavior that is so unique, refreshing, and kind-hearted; for having worked and frequented actors/hosts/crew members/filmmakers from the movie/tv industry, I have met some really mean and shady bullies who pulled temper tantrums and bullied people (some of whom I had verbal spats with) and have therefore a good sense of reality about the mean-spirited nature of showbiz. And after seeing Lars at work through this documentary, but also others like Tranceformer, The Humiliated, and 100 Eyes, I can attest that Lars von Trier is not a jerk, but a kind soul who treats his actors with respect, which Cleo King, Lauren Bacall, Nicole Kidman, and Jeremy Davies have attested during the filmmaking of Dogville, either in the confessional box or in interviews. Indeed, Jennifer Kent herself, who worked as production assistant and Runner on Dogville, also defended him during her interviews for Babadook:

Saying the following to Nashville Scene (Murray 2014):

“He’s not the monster that he and others make him out to be [laughs]. I think he’s conflicted and probably goes through a lot emotionally and mentally. But he’s very fond of actors. He gives them a lot. Filmmaking is usually about the camera, but he makes it about his actors, which is very smart. That’s why he gets such extraordinary performances. So I learned that, and I learned that it’s not only advisable to be stubborn, it’s necessary.”

To the Film Experience (Nathaniel R. 2014) she said:
“I thought that he really liberated them (the actors) and gave them support and freedom. And I also saw him collapse at times and be exhausted. This was helpful as well because we can deify brilliant directors and think ‘Oh my god. He does something I could never do.’ It gave me the confidence to see a normal person going through that process.“

And to Vice (Ryan 2014), she said this:

“Contrary to popular belief, he treats his actors quite well. He probably won’t like anyone saying that, but he does. He knows how to relax them, and make them confident, and give them time to arrive at those beautiful performances that he gets.“

Though I guess that regarding whoever doesn’t like Lars and have their mean agenda against him, this won’t change anything for them and they will still insist on treating him the same way some ill-meant journalists/divas have spewed out about him in their interviews, IMDB reviews, and articles about Lars. Rita Skeeters I am sure never took the time to see this documentary. Or would try to see it and still spew their BS. BS that unmasks their own self-portrait rather than Lars’s.

Again about the documentary, another thing important noting is how we see the self-hatred Lars has upon himself. Which he displays when returning to the hotel where the cast is resting. In it, we see how sometimes he feels his ambitions sometimes exceed the end results he obtains, but how the daily stress he endures can be quite exhausting on him. And again, the anxiety attack that Lars had during the documentary where some crew members took time to hug him is another display of the stress he had. Though I think a lot of that stress he was going through was an aftermath of the toxic work relationship he had with Björk on Dancer in The Dark. Situation I relate to in the following editorial I posted in February 2019: https://omnesoasis.wordpress.com/2019/02/24/lars-von-trier-and-bjork-editorial-informative-paper-on-the-working-relationship-of-those-two-artists/

And since we’re on the subject of “actors spewing out to Rita Skeeters that Lars is a jerk“, let’s discuss another actor who pulled that game in interviews. And for that, I am talking about Paul Bettany himself who said to Xan Brooks in this interview titled “Paul Bettany: ‘Lars von Trier simply wouldn’t talk to me“,
(https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/may/30/paul-bettany-lars-von-trier), that Lars’s refusal to speak with him discouraged him to ever watch Dogville. And he said the following reason for not liking Lars: “As an actor, I have questions. I want to know what I’m doing. And he simply wouldn’t talk to me. You’re not allowed to talk about the film and there is no rehearsal. The whole experience was diametrically opposed to what I thought it would be. Let me be clear: I love Lars’s films. He’s a precociously brilliant director. But he has no interest in what the actors think. He just stands there and says [mimics Danish accent]: “Louder! Louder! Do it louder!” That’s the extent of your collaboration. You know what it’s like? It’s like he’s Jackson Pollock and you’re on the sidelines, mixing his colours. It is entirely his gig. ”

Remarks which, to any suck-up reporter or detractor, would feed their hateful agenda. But during the documentary, we are shown instead another portrait of the whole Lars-Paul situation.

Indeed, the documentary shows a scene with Lauren Bacall’s character offering to Grace (Nicole Kidman) a job at her place, and out of nowhere, Paul decides to turn around and get out of the store. A move that puzzled me the first time I saw it, that hurt the take, and tried to force Lars and his camera to focus further on him. In sum, a clear example of “cabotinage” (ham acting) to obtain Lars’s attention, which made the latter ask politely to Paul to stay back at his former position and to not leave the general store. Which angered so much Bettany he growled like a dog on camera, even when Lars thanked him for listening to him; a move from Paul that was shocking and silly. Further during the take, Lars saw that Paul wasn’t smiling as he should have been doing and reminded him politely that he is supposed to be happy for Grace, to which Paul turned right at the camera (since Lars is filming Dogville) and said “I’m just furious with you.” Which made a puzzled Lars ask him: “For making you stay?”. Later during the break, Lars complained to Vibeke Windelov and Anders Refn of Paul’s behavior; denouncing it as another attempt of his to screw up a take by trying to work at his own rhythm while neglecting his other colleagues. Behavior that he had done several times, and that it was hurting the scene. And right away, Lars joined Paul to speak kindly with him; telling him that he only asked Paul to give three tiny smiles during that scene, and had he done them, the scene would have been perfect. To which Paul ranted like a sore baby that there were times when he smiled and Lars’s camera wasn’t focused on him; though when he saw Sami Saif’s Dogville Confessions camera filming him, he gulped up as he realized they caught his silly behavior on tape and then he switched track by saying that Lars was right all along. And even then, when Lars calmly told Paul to not defend himself, that he was well treated here with good pay, Paul then claimed he only had a small salary (seriously?), which hurt Lars who said he was trying to compliment Paul. Though Paul tried to explain and defend his behavior with a “I’m just discussing with you.” (Really, by spewing out lousy diva complaints) though Lars owned him by telling him “Just say: “Thank you Mr. Director, I’m glad you liked my performance.” Which embarrassed Paul as he repeated that claim and Lars left to take a walk and cool off. For those interested, here is the incident in the Dogville Confessions Documentary.

So when you see this incident, you get a different angle of the “Lars simply wouldn’t talk to me” BS. In this case, I saw a prima donna who wants to grab the camera’s attention, upstage his co-stars, and who couldn’t accept it that a director told him that no, he was not going to pull this diva take, that he was going to respect the scene, his director and his indications (all of them told nicely) and respect his other cast members who have to endure his antics. And as for his rant that the camera wasn’t on him when he smiled, it’s evident he doesn’t realise where he’s working in. With a director who films his scenes like a documentary/National Theatre Live recording, as a filming of various angles during a scene where Lars gave him a performance indication. In sum, a filming that doesn’t try to focus on everyone’s reactions and attention. That flows with the story and doesn’t play favourites with anybody. And certainly not with the divas on a movie set. Divas whom, I have seen myself at work and at school.

I even took time to show the entire Paul Bettany incident to my dad and he was bewildered by Paul’s attitude, calling him/that dog growl and his rants those of a “silly brat” and told me that would he ever meet the actor, he would tell him straight to his face that since Paul accepted to work with a director who knows what he is doing, who does great films, who certainly does not treat horribly his people (unlike others like Jean-Pierre Melville, Clouzot, and Carné whom actors like Nicole Stéphane, Brigitte Bardot, and Yves Barsacq have denounced themselves), and that therefore he should take time to respect and listen to his director`s indications. That is also an opinion Jean Marais himself felt as well when he spoke in his autobiography about actors who upstage their co-stars and ignore their directors’ indications. And so did Emily Watson in this Oxford Union video where she said about actors: “If you think it’s about you, you’re in the wrong room and really if you’re having an argument with the director about how the film should come out, you know you’re in the wrong job. I mean you can really contribute to that and give your opinion, but actually once you get over the hump of thinking it’s about you and actually start really serving a story, then you’re onto something.” (25:18 to 25:47).

To me, it seems like Paul was trying to direct his scenes his way, that he was expressing interest to direct his own films (which he did with “Shelter” in 2014). And I feel that when he would do his own motion pictures, he could do what he wanted, but that as he is not directing his own film, he must respect and listen to his boss. Even when he might not entirely agree. For it is Lars’s film, not Paul’s.

And having read this other incident about Paul Bettany, I find it even more laughable/hypocritical his complaints that Lars is not a good communicator when he did the same to that Orange County reporter who wrote an editorial called: Paul Bettany took one look at me and split . (https://www.ocregister.com/2010/01/15/paul-bettany-took-one-look-at-me-and-split/ )

And for all of those who’d complain about directors being exigent at work, well guess what.

Acting is a JOB.

It is a work as exhausting and valuable as any other and that sometimes, you need to swallow your selfish needs and do your job.

And let me tell you something. It is very helpful when people call you out on your ham acting moments. Because that is what happened to an actor who spoke in the Honest Actors Podcast that he had that horrible habit of upstaging his cast members and ham acting. Eventually, a theatre director was sick of this and had a strong argument with the actor before the entire cast to make him realise that he needed to have consideration for others as well. That it would help the show’s reception; and him as well for future projects. Which the actor in question admitted, apologised to his cast mates, and he stopped upstaging/ham acting his colleagues.

So to me, this review is both an attempt to describe this documentary, but also to defend Lars von Trier whom too many love to demonise. Who think that because a director does difficult movies he is a chaotic monster; as if artists who work on many light-hearted and funny productions are wonderful and funny when it can be the opposite. Then again, having interacted with an actor who has been witch-hunted in the press by so many jerks within the business and in the media, I can say that this showbiz culture can be quite a shitty universe. With actors and media whores who court your attention so that you will interact/work with them, which they will love to feed their agenda, but also spit you out and bitch behind your back or in interviews. Always for the same agenda; one that sounds more like a bitchy high school courtyard.

In sum, anybody interested in the working relationship between Lars von Trier and his cast/crew should take a look at Dogville Confessions. And if that documentary were available on a Criterion release of Dogville, that would allow many to see a truth that some might not want to understand. That Lars is a kind and wonderful director.

  • Vicken, Eddy. Henri-Georges Clouzot: Le Tyran éclairé. France: TV5 Monde, 2004. TV.
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Published by Simon Omnes

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