The Celebration

[Original Title: Festen] Director Thomas Vinterberg follows a family gathering, celebrating the patriarch’s 60th birthday at their own hotel , where after the oldest son’s toast reveals a dark family secret that contributed to his twin sister’s recent suicide, the party becomes a playfield for recriminations and denial. Vinterberg creates a gripping and emotionally raw film that uses dark comedy to explores themes of death, trauma, family dynamics and social conventions in an innovative way but sometimes is uncomfortable to watch. This was the first Dogme 95 film, an artistic movement that preferred simple production values over elaborate special effects or technology.
It was the Danish entry for the 71st Academy Awards.