The chronic uncertainty vs. The perpetual order

It is a bit unclear what this image is doing here, but I like the graphics.

I have an idea, of how to collective formulate a framework. All of us could write one or two obstructions for the working process. This could be done without knowing what the others are proposing, so we collect 5-10 obstructions that create a set of rules on how to work. I would like to emphasize that the obstructions preferably should be process- rather than goal-orientated.

If we do like this I encorrage everyone to think open and wide, the obstructions could involve anything from sleeping hours, what and how to eat, how to commute, dynamic responsability distribution formula, materials/tools to use (or not to use), how (not) to communicate or who and in which way decisions are taken.

This text (I guess it will be a text, right?) could be written in advance, maybe on a specific date/time which will save us time to work while in London. Also, what is interesting is that we will know before we start exactly what we are doing, but in the same way not having any idea at all.

An additional idea is that someone is collecting the obstructions and putting them together in a travel/work_guide.pdf (also including useful adresses and stuff) that everyone can print just before the trip starts. In this way we will not reflect collectivly on the obstructions before we come to London. I like that. The chronic uncertainty vs. The perpetual order.

There are two rather obvious references : Dogme 95 and The Five Obstructions.

DOGME 95.

1. Optagelserne skal ske on location, kulisser og rekvisitter skal forefindes fra starten og må ikke placeres på stedet til optagelserne.

2. Lyden må aldrig produceres adskilt fra optagelserne. Musik er kun tilladt, hvis det spilles direkte under optagelserne, f.eks. i form af et bånd eller en plade, der kører mens scenen skydes.

3. Kameraet skal være håndholdt.

4. Filmen skal være i farver. Speciel lyssætning er forbudt, men hvis der er for lidt lys til optagelserne kan man sætte en enkelt lampe på kameraet.

5. Optiske filtre er forbudt.

6. Filmen må ikke indeholde overfladisk action, f.eks. er mord og våben forbudt.

7. Tidsmæssigt og geografisk må filmen ikke afvige i forhold til virkeligheden. Filmen skal ske her og nu.

8. Genrefilm er forbudt.

9. Filmformatet skal være Academy 35mm film.

10. Instruktøren må ikke krediteres.

The five obstructions

1. Leth must remake the film in Cuba (but with no set) with no shot longer than 12 frames, and he must answer the questions posed in the original film; Leth successfully completes this task.

2. Leth must remake the film in the worst place in the world but not show that place onscreen; additionally, Leth must play the role of "the man". The meal must be included but the woman is not to be included. Leth remakes the film in the red light district of Bombay, only partially hiding it behind a translucent screen.

3. Because Leth failed to complete task 2 perfectly, von Trier punishes him, telling him to either remake the film in any way he chooses, or redo obstruction 2 in Bombay again. Leth chooses the first option and remakes it in Brussels using split-screen effects.

4. Leth must remake the film as an animation. He does so with the aid of Bob Sabiston, a specialist in rotoscoping, who creates animated versions of shots from the previous films.

5. The fifth obstruction is that von Trier has already made the fifth version, but it must be credited as Leth's, and Leth must read a voice-over narration ostensibly from his own perspective but in fact written by von Trier.

Post-post thoughts: The obstructions could also be assembled for the first time when we meet on site.