THE CONFESSION OF "JULIEN DONKEY - BOY"
IN JOINING THE DOGME BROTHERHOOD, SOMETHING THAT I AM STAUNCH ABOUT, IN THE BELIEF OF MAKING A FILM UNDER GOD, FORSAKING CONVENTION AND ABIDING STRONGLY IN ITS CONVICTION, I PROUDLY ABANDONED THOSE CINEMA TACTICS THAT I HAD BEEN BROUGHT UP IN. AND IN DOING THIS, I SUCCUMBED TO A RELIGIOUS - LIKE, SEMI - CALVINIST FERVOR. BUT AS WHEN I WAS A CHILD THE TEMPTATION TO SIN WAS ALWAYS A ROMANTIC OPTION. THIS ROMANTIC OPTION LED ME TO THE CINEMA, A PLACE WHERE SIN WAS WELCOME, WHERE AT LEAST IN THEORY THE PURPOSE MADE IT HOLY. IF I WAS EVER TO MAKE A "WESTERN," FOR INSTANCE, AND A HORSE DIED BECAUSE I ASKED TOO MUCH FROM THE STALLION, I WOULD NOT SHED A TEAR SIMPLY BECAUSE IT DIED BY MY COMMAND. I WOULD WEEP ONLY IF THE HORSE DIED OFF CAMERA. CINEMA SUSTAINS LIFE. IT CAPTURES DEATH IN ITS PROGRESS. THUS THE HORSE DIES FOR THE WORLD AS DID CHRIST HIMSELF. WITH THIS BELIEF, WORKING AND SERIOUSLY BELIEVING AS I DO IN THE PROPHECY AND INTRINSIC VALUE OF THE "VOW OF CHASTITY," I WELCOMED THE CONVERSION OF BELIEF AND GLADLY ALTERED MY FORMER APPROACH. BUT THIS WAS NOT A SOLO CONVERSION, BUT A HAPPY ONE, AND IN THIS, I WAS BORN AGAIN. AND LIKE SOME SORT OF MISSIONARY WITH STRICT CONVICTION AND RIGHTEOUSNESS IT WAS ALSO MY DUTY TO PERSUADE THOSE NON BELIEVERS [ACTORS, PRODUCERS, CERTAIN CREW MEMBERS] ESPECIALLY THOSE BEGRUDGING AMERICANS AROUND ME, THAT THIS WAS A RESCUE MISSION OF SORT, THAT IT WAS NOT ENOUGH TO TAKE MY ORDERS BUT TO FIND SUFFICIENT SOLACE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF DOGME95. THERE CAN BE ART WITHOUT LOVE; BUT NO CINEMA CAN LACK LOVE. TO LOVE THE MANIFESTO IS THE ONLY WAY I COULD MAKE IT THROUGH, NOT TO QUESTION IT, BUT TO GIVE IN AS YOU WOULD BLINDLY GIVE YOURSELF TO A HIGHER POWER. BUT WITH THAT SAID, I MUST CONFESS WITH LITTLE SHAME AND REDEMPTIVE SORROW TO MY FEW SINS AGAINST MY BRETHREN. AS WHEN I WAS A NINE YEAR OLD CHILD AND I BURNT MY MOTHERS GARDEN DOWN WITH MATCHES AND DRY GRASS WHILE MOTHER TRUSTED ME ENOUGH TO LEAVE ME ALONE AT HOME FOR THE FIRST TIME, I WAS TO TEND TO MY YOUNGER SIBLINGS WHILE SHE WENT SHOPPING FOR A WINTER COAT. BUT I STARTED A FIRE INSTEAD. AND THE FIRE CONSUMED MORE THAN HER FLOWERS. SHE SMASHED MY BARE ASS WITH A YELLOW WIFFLE BALL BAT TILL THE WELTS ON MY ASS MADE A BRUTAL ENOUGH IMPRESSION FOR HER TO STOP. NEEDLESS TO SAY THE LESSON WAS LEARNED AND MY VANDILIZATION CEASED, AT LEAST FOR A WHILE. BUT THEN I WAS A CHILD. NOW I AM WHAT I AM. THE LORDS VESSEL I AM.
THESE ARE MY CONFESSIONS TO THE BROTHERHOOD: BEFORE GOD I SHALL CONFESS: PURGE AND REDEEM.
I CONFESS TO CHLOE SEVIGNY'S PREGNANT BELLY NOT BEING TRULY PREGNANT. I TRIED TO IMPREGNATE HER MYSELF, BUT THERE WASN'T ENOUGH TIME. PLUS SHE FELT NOT READY TO CARRY A CHILD FOR NINE MONTHS. I DID TRY THOUGH. PERHAPS IT IS MY FAULT. PERHAPS I AM SHOOTING BLANKS. AND LOVING HER THE WAY I DO, I DID NOT WANT ANOTHER MAN TO GIVE IT A TRY. SO WE USED A ROUND FOAM PILLOW THAT WAS PRESENT ON LOCATION IN MY GRANDMOTHERS BEDROOM CLOSET.
I CONFESS THAT IN THE TURKEY DINNER SCENE I MADE MY GRANDMOTHER GO TO THE GROCERY STORE AND BUY A BATCH OF RAW CRANBERRIES, WHICH SHE COOKED IN HER OWN KITCHEN ALONG WITH THE REST OF THE TURKEY DINNER.
I CONFESS TO USING A FAKE DEAD BABY FETUS THAT JULIEN STEALS AT THE END OF THE FILM. THE BABY ALREADY EXISTED AS IS, IN THE MATERNITY UNIT OF THE HOSPITAL WHERE THE SCENE WAS SHOT AT. IT WAS USED BY THE NURSES THERE TO PRACTICE PRE - NATAL CPR.
I CONFESS THAT ALL THE MUSIC IN THE FILM EXISTED WITHOUT ANY MANIPULATION AT MY GRANDMOTHERS HOME. I LIVED AT HER HOME FOR FOUR, THREE YEARS PRIOR TO MY FAME AND KEPT MY BELONGINGS IN THE BASEMENT. ALL PROPS WERE THERE BEFOREHAND. THIS WAS ONE OF MY MAIN REASONS FOR USING THIS LOCATION. ALSO ALL THE MUSIC AND PRE - TAPED VOICE OVERS WERE DONE ON A CHEAP MICRO CASSETTE RECORDER THAT EXISTED ON LOCATION. THE SOUND WAS PLAYED DIRECTLY FROM THIS OR A RECORD PLAYER THAT MY GRANDMOTHER HADN'T USED SINCE 1954.
I CONFESS TO ONE OF THE ACTORS CONSTRUCTING BY HAND A CRUDE PAIR OF FLIP FLOP ICE SKATES THAT ARE USED IN ONE OF THE FINAL SCENES. BUT BOTH THE ICE SKATES, THE GLUE, AND THE FLIP FLOP WERE ALL ON THE LOCATION WE FILMED.
I CONFESS THAT THE BALLOONS IN THE PARTY SCENE WERE BLOWN UP BY ACTORS IN THE SCENE. BUT THE CUSTODIAN HAD 7 BAGS OF BALLOONS IN HIS BROOM CLOSET THAT HE WAS KIND ENOUGH TO LET US USE EVEN THOUGH HE WAS SAVING THEM FOR HIS WIFE'S 46TH BIRTHDAY PARTY.
SALVATION IS FREE. REDEMPTION AND MERCY.
PRAISE BE "THE VOW OF CHASTITY." AND BLESSED BE THE FAMILY!
IN THE NAME OF DOGME95.
I WILLFULLY SUBMIT "JULIEN DONKEY - BOY"
YOUR BROTHER IN ARMS
HARMONY KORINE
95- THE VOW OF CHASTITY
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