De fem benspænd · 2003

The Five Obstructions

Jørgen Leth · 88 min · Belgium

In 1967, experimental filmmaker Jorgen Leth created a striking short film, The Perfect Human, starring a man and women sitting in a box while a narrator poses questions about their relationship and humanity. Years later, Danish director Lars von Trier made a deal with Leth to remake his film five times, each under a different set of circumstances and with von Trier's strictly prescribed rules. As Leth completes each challenge, von Trier creates increasingly further elaborate stipulations.

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Worldwide revenue

US$279,032

Production companies

Panic Productions, Wajnbrosse Productions, Almaz Film Productions, Zentropa Entertainments

Locations

• Exact location
• Approximate: the city or region
• Filming
• Setting

Locations catalogued on Wikidata. Where only the city or region is known, the dot marks its centre, not the exact filming spot.

Setting

Dinamarca

Location data: Wikidata · Map © OpenStreetMap contributors

Know where it was shot? You can add it on Wikidata.

Cast

• 

  Jørgen Leth

  Voice-over (from Det perfekte menneske) / Self - Director / +

• 

  Lars von Trier

  Self / Obstructor (segment "The Conversations")

• 

  Claus Nissen

  The Perfect Man (from Det perfekte menneske) (archive footage)

• 

  Majken Algren Nielsen

  The Perfect Woman (from Det perfekte menneske) (archive footage)

• Daniel Hernandez Rodriguez

  The Perfect Man (segment "Cuba")

• 

  Jacqueline Arenal

  The Perfect Woman (segment "Cuba")

• Vivian Rosa

  (segment "Cuba")

• 

  Patrick Bauchau

  The Perfect Man / Voice-over (Brussels) / Speaker (Cartoon)