It seems likely that, for Lars von Trier, The Idiots is both the beginning and ending of Dogme 95, the set of back-to-basics aesthetic principles he helped concoct. Certainly his next project, a lavish musical starring Björk, falls outside the Dogme 95 purview. Stipulating natural lighting, natural sound, and the absence of props or special effects, the Dogme restrictions supposedly spur directors to new creative thought by making them re-evaluate the importance of character and story in an era where world cinema is more and more dominated by Hollywood-style artifice.

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