The Five Obstructions
About The Five Obstructions
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.
The Five Obstructions is a 2003 documentary film directed by Jørgen Leth and Lars von Trier. Released in November 2003, it runs 88 minutes.
The film is filed under filmmaking, mentor protégé relationship, director, and animated scene.
Jørgen Leth stars as Voice-over (from Det perfekte menneske), Lars von Trier as Self, Claus Nissen as The Perfect Man (from Det perfekte menneske) (archive footage), and Majken Algren Nielsen as The Perfect Woman (from Det perfekte menneske) (archive footage). The screenplay is by Asger Leth and Jørgen Leth. In the United States it streams on MUBI and MUBI Amazon Channel.
Malcolm & Marie, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, and Hitchcock/Truffaut make useful companions to The Five Obstructions. TMDB voters put it at 6.9 out of 10 across 183 votes.