The Five Obstructions

Lars von Trier makes a proposal to Jorgen Leth, whom he regards as his master: Leth will remake his own 1967 short The Perfect Human five times. Each time von Trier sets an obstruction. In the first, no shot may run longer than twelve frames; in another the film must be shot in Bombay, in a street where sex workers work; in another Leth is made to produce animation. The documentary is the record of those five attempts. Between them are their conversations; von Trier states the aim openly, to push Leth and drive him toward humanity. What is interesting is that the plan fails. Leth handles every obstruction with skill and von Trier grows steadily more uncomfortable; by the end the obstruction becomes a punishment. The film is both an experiment about creative process and a record of the power relationship between two directors. The editing runs through footage taken from the original short. Who it is for: viewers who like cinema about cinema and experimental form. Who it is not for: anyone expecting a story; the film is entirely an exercise.