Dogme 95: The Italian Neorealist Movement

The Italian “neorealist” movement began at the end of World War II and the films typically dealt with the working class, used non-professional actors, and were shot on location. The films attempted to describe the difficult economic and moral conditions of postwar Italy and the changes in public mentality in everyday life. After the Italian neorealist wave ended, the French New Wave began in the late 1950s. The French New Wave directors gave birth to the auteur theory, which held that the director is the “author” of his movies, with a personal signature visible from film to film. They were reacting against the “tradition of quality” of cinema in France, or the mainstream French films. Dogme 95 was a movement that started in 1995 with the idea to return to “traditional values of story, acting, and theme, and excluding the use of elaborate special effects or technology.” Dogme 95 was a movement that wanted to show the big budget Hollywood films does not define the quality of a film, but the creative freedom.

The Italian neorealist movement began after World War II in Italy. Filmmakers wanted to represent changes in the Italian psyche and conditions of everyday life, including poverty, oppression, injustice, and desperation. Neorealism was a sign of cultural change and social progress in Italy. Films were presented

The sound must never be produced apart from the images or vice versa. The camera must be hand-held, there must only be movement obtained from the hand. The film must be in color and there cannot be special lighting. Optical work and filters are forbidden. The film cannot contain superficial action. The film takes place here and now. Genre movies are not acceptable. The film format must be Academy 35 mm. Lastly; the director must not be