Facing a true story in a fake situation, Macedonian filmmaker Aneta Lesnikovska, in the double role of director and narrator behind the camera who lies to her friends that she got financial support from the Zentropa producers and to make a film on the lines of Dogme manifesto. The movement which put Danish directors firmly on the map; Dogme enforced rules of film-making that would concentrate on story and acting and limit the use of special effects or new technology. The goal was to 'purify' film-making and rescue it from 'bourgeois romanticism' - the rules included shooting only on location, having only natural sound and using hand-held camera without filters. The film was made in response to the 10th anniversary of the foundation of the Dogma manifesto. The film specifically highlights two things: In Macedonia, while arranging the idea of a dogme movie with fake situation which towards the end turns into a real film. The second issue is the secret filming with a mockumentary tone, where she captures the attention of the viewer through the use of both footage from the actual events involved and detailed re-creations with adding her narrative. The way the film blends these ideas, along with some wry humour is what makes it play so well. It has different movements, which while rather different all work in concert by the time all is done. It begins as what my friends call a "drunken session to do plan", momentarily becomes absurd, takes a turn towards the procedural, and ends with a sequence of 'will-they or won't-they?'. "Does It Hurt? The First Balkan Dogma" builds a compelling story of both courage and deceit. The experimentation offers a special 'look' that does not leave you indifferent and that can provoke interesting debates and reflections.
