The Celebration is a 1998 Danish film whose plot was inspired by a hoax which was broadcast on a Danish radio station. Hearing it inspired director Thomas Vinterberg and Mogens Rukov to write the script. Its original Danish title is Festen, and it was released under this title in the UK. The film tells the story of a family gathering to celebrate their father's 60th birthday. At the birthday dinner, his eldest son publicly accuses him of sexually...
more
The Celebration is a 1998 Danish film whose plot was inspired by a hoax which was broadcast on a Danish radio station. Hearing it inspired director Thomas Vinterberg and Mogens Rukov to write the script. Its original Danish title is Festen, and it was released under this title in the UK. The film tells the story of a family gathering to celebrate their father's 60th birthday. At the birthday dinner, his eldest son publicly accuses him of sexually abusing and raping both him and his twin sister (who had just recently committed suicide).
Psychologist Richard Gartner reports that, as of 1999, The Celebration was one of only two feature films he has seen to feature male-male incest as a theme (the other film was the 1996 suspense-thriller Primal Fear). Additionally, Gartner suggests that the guests' responses to the disclosure of sexual abuse in The Celebration are a vivid depiction of denial.
Respected family patriarch and businessman Helge (Henning Moritzen) is celebrating his 60th...
less
