Peter Aalbæk Jensen

The Idiots Who Started The Party

Danish film has never felt stronger on the international stage than it did with the Dogme films, which at the world premiere of 'The Party' and 'The Idiots' during the Cannes Film Festival in 1998 put Denmark on the film world map. Another eight films under the strict Dogme rules followed and created great international careers for several of the talents in front of and behind the handheld camera. Thomas Vinterberg, Søren Kragh-Jacobsen, Paprika Steen, Ulrich Thomsen, Trine Dyrholm, Iben Hjejle, Anders W. Berthelsen, Lone Scherfig, Sonja Richter and many more of the country's greatest filmmakers look back on when Denmark became Dogme.

The Aquarium

In a dystopian realm underneath the ground, a mysterious boss dictates the rules of the young people living and working here. They each work in a club, taking care of dedicated club members day after day. It is a lonely life with no escape. Carla is responsible for the Aquarium Club, Zac is in charge of the Motor Club. When their paths cross, a whole new world opens.

Europa: The Faecal Location

Asst. Director Tómas Gislason and Producer Peter Aalbæk Jensen reflects on their "faecal location" when they shot Lars von Trier's Europa (1991) in Poland.

Lars von Trier: Anecdotes

Memorable anecdotes about film director Lars von Trier told by people he has worked with on his films.

Anecdotes from Europa

Documentary with interviews of the cast and crew of Lars von Trier's 1991 film "Europa."

Rule No. 1

Caroline is forced to leave her unfaithful boyfriend, and the only place she can crash is with her sister Sarah, with whom she does not get along. Sarah graciously offers Caroline a tiny room in her apartment and decides to help her find Mr. Right. Caroline isn't sure she's cut out for the dating game, but Sarah assures her there's nothing to it. Caroline is sent on a series of grueling and comic dates with everything from nimble pickup artists, to adventure sports freaks and a karaokesinging stockbroker. But in the end what the two sisters really find is themselves.

Wag the Dogma

Quixotic Martino Sclavi dives deep into the Danish film scene to uncover the truth behind the Dogme 95 Manifesto, along the way the film systematically breaks each and every one of the Dogme 'vows of chastity' - employing special effects, comedy sound design, and a singing narrator to boot.

The Flying Granny

The girl Eva's parents are too busy at their jobs in the airport to go on summer vacation with her, so she decides to go with her grandmother in the attempt to find Eva's grandfather Åge, who used to be a pilot.

Gone with the Fish

Based on director Lotte Svendsen's own memories of her childhood on the Baltic island of Bornholm, but though it is set in 1981 the conflicts portrayed do not seem far away. At the start of the film Lars Erik and his wife Sonja are doing well on the Baltic island of Bornholm. Lars Erik is a successful fisherman, Sonja is a traditional housewife, proud of their new house bulging with consumer goods. Their love for each other is the sturdy footing on which their home is founded. Lars Erik employs three men on his trawler, and spends as fast as he earns, so when fishing quotas are cut he faces a crisis. One by one his men leave the boat, but he refuses to give up. Being a fisherman is like being a farmer - you depend on the wealth of mother nature herself. However, mother nature is like romance, highly capricious!

Pretty Boy

Nick is a handsome 13-year-old runaway whose search for a family leads him into the arms of male prostitution. While Nick's sexual exploits with strange men keep his pockets lined with cash, the experience does nothing to preserve his waning innocence. Soon enough, he's as hardened as a man three times his age.

The Knight of Justice

Benjamin act as a moral guardian as he saves both a female thief and a child during Christmas in a futuristic Denmark.