Cold Open · Essay · jun 5, 2025

Dogme 95, the Phoenician Scheme, Twin Peaks: Why Wes Anderson Should Try Dogme-style Filmmaking

On the 30th anniversary of Dogme 95 — the movement that stripped cinema back to handheld cameras, natural light, and no genre conventions — Laura Gommans and Elliot Bloom ask what the manifesto was actually for, and what its legacy has been. The occasion is also the release of Wes Anderson's The Phoenician Scheme, which only reinforces the all style, no substance critique. And David Lynch's Twin Peaks is coming to LAB111 — an episode that asks what happens when television is invaded by cinema's most committed formalist.

By Laura Gommans

Film Journalist · Celebrating Cinema

With Dogme 95 turning 30 this year, hosts Laura Gommans and Elliot Bloom reflect on the radical movement that dared to strip cinema down to its bare bones—and what that legacy means today. Returning to last episode’s ranking of Wes Anderson’s films, the duo discuss The Phoenician Scheme, the American director’s latest film that only seems to reinforce the “all style, no substance” label. Rounding out the episode is a look at David Lynch’s TV series Twin Peaks, soon to be screened at LAB111 on June 18. Laura and Elliot explore its haunting genius and why it still feels ahead of its time.

Get tickets to ⁠Dogme 95 Films⁠ @ LAB111

Get tickets ⁠The Complete Filmography of Wes Anderson⁠ @ LAB111

Get tickets to ⁠The Phoenician Scheme⁠ @ LAB111

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