The Five Obstructions

The Five Obstructions

Synopsis

"Documentarian Jørgen Leth’s 1967 experimental film The Perfect Human provides the inspiration for this unusual collaboration with Lars von Trier. In The Five Obstructions, von Trier challenges Leth to remake this seminal work five different times. Each remake is constricted by an arbitrary set of limitations determined by the impish von Trier. As Leth becomes increasingly frustrated with his counterpart’s whims, von Trier documents the break down of the creative process. This inspired tête-a-tête gives an intriguing perspective on the odd manipulations between filmmaker and subject." – Harvard Film Archive