The Five Obstructions (De fem benspænd)

What I was thinking...

not that it's up to me. We have no story board after all.

The idea is that we watch the perfect human.

Then you and I will formulate a few obstructions.

We'll make the same film, -

the perfect human, five times.

Shall we watch it? Are you up to it? I've seen it at least 20 times.

How fantastic!

Yes, there he is. Who is he?

What can he do? What does he want?

Why is he moving like that? How does he move that way?

Watch him! Watch him now! And now!

Watch him all the time!

Now the music has gone. No music any more.

The perfect human in a room without any limits, without anything.

And a voice saying a few words. This voice, saying these words.

Watch him now. Watch him all the time.

A little gem that we are now going to ruin.

- That's the way it's got to be. - A good perversion to cultivate.

My first obstruction, which you can write down right away -

- is that no single edit may be longer than 12 frames.

I'd like to try... do you remember all the questions in the film?

In the narration you wrote there were some questions.

"What is this human doing?" "Why has the music..."

I want them answered.

Now I'm going to have to think a bit.

I need to think for a moment.

Film Jørgen a bit in the meantime.

Good to have a cigar like this. Because it is...

...it keeps you occupied.

Manually.

While you think. I have a cigar in Haiti after supper.

As a real treat, I have a Havana.

- Where is Cuba in relation to...? - Cuba is very near Haiti.

I've never been to Cuba.

So the film must be shot in Cuba. Obviously.

Carsten? Will the budget allow the first film to be shot in Cuba?

Whether you go and how you work will be up to you.

I'd prefer to build a room there. Or we could use a screen.

What a pity... in that case you can't do that.

Really? I'd better not tell you what I am going to do, then...

- you've said it. - No set...

- OK. - Right.

Don't say any more, Jørgen.

I can't wait to see the film. It'll be fantastic!

- That's the first one, then. - Yes. Bon voyage, Jørgen.

See you in... well...

it's completely insane!

No edit more than 12 frames long!

Damn it...

it's totally destructive.

What the hell does he expect me to do?

He's ruining it from the start!

It'll be a spastic film.

This is too hard. It really is.

Just the odd car. Just the odd car.

Another one.

Along the waterfront.

It's ridiculous getting up so early.

Look! She is going to lie down.

How will she lie down? She lies down like that.

Like that.

We're in Cuba.

We're going for a real hombre.

Hombre cubano.

- What's her name? - Vivian.

She looks nice.

We'll just wait for Dan.

- Have they explained? - No, not yet.

She looks great.

I'm Dan. The photographer.

She's a dancer.

- The others will be here later. - So we don't have to decide yet.

Does she know the phone number? ...José knows.

We are going to watch the perfect human at work.

How does such a human work?

We're going to look and see.

We're going to investigate. We're going to see -

- what the perfect human looks like and what it can do.

He's brought the photos of the second woman.

He says it's a bad photo and that she is very beautiful.

She certainly is.

And he says she's got nice... tits.

My goodness!

- And then there are these. - I don't think we'll want them.

No... no.

Will it work, Dan? In Claus Nissen's original he wipes it on paper.

But it looks messy.

He could have a bowl of water off camera.

Also today I experienced something -

- that I hope to understand in a few days.

Around my left hand a circle of blurred white flames was shining.

I observed carefully the left side of my own dark jacket.

In the centre of my heart there was a tiny white point.

I don't know what it means.

We've got things under control, ...I reckon.

The 12 frames are a paper tiger!

You've no idea what it'll be like using 12 frames?

No. I certainly haven't. I certainly haven't.

Hello...

Jørgen! You're looking great. That's not good.

Bad sign!

You ought to look battered.

People who've been tripped up look battered.

Like I should've been walking on crutches.

I can't wait to show it to you, I must say.

- I'm already sceptical. - Of course you are.

- I can't see how you... - no, you can't.

You can't imagine how we worked round things.

One always feels furious when it turns out that there are solutions.

- 12 frames... - that was vicious of me.

Satanic.

And I had to answer the questions in the narration.

Somewhere I'd never been before, namely Cuba.

And we weren't allowed to build a set.

Four... that's quite a few obstacles for a single obstruction!

Maybe. Next time we'll have to use a few more.

Be careful, Jørgen!

You've already exposed yourself!

I've been warned not to expose myself straight away.

And so you start by doing so.

Next time we'll use five obstructions.

- I'm ready if you are. - I'm ready to show you.

The first obstruction.

Cuba... Cuba.

Havana. Cigar. Man. Woman.

Havana. Cuba.

This voice is saying these words.

Woman. Cigar.

Man.

Here is the perfect human.

Here is the perfect human.

We are going to investigate what the perfect human looks like and can do.

We are looking at the perfect human being.

The perfect human is getting undressed.

Tie, jacket.

Shoes.

Trousers.

Shirt.

Movement.

Here is the perfect human.

Here is the perfect human.

We are looking at the perfect human.

We are looking at the perfect human.

An eye. Look at this human's eye.

And now a mouth. A mouth.

The perfect human is moving in a room.

There is music in the room.

There isn't any music in the room.

There is music in the room. This is how he moves.

Why is he moving like that?

Because women like it when he moves like that.

An ear. That's what an ear looks like.

Again, an ear.

And again, a mouth.

Footsteps. She lies down.

How will she lie down?

She lies down like this.

This is how she lies down.

What is the perfect human thinking?

Is he thinking about happiness? Death? Love?

About what he is going to do tonight?

About the woman, perhaps?

About what it's like to touch her skin.

Maybe he is thinking about her eyes, her legs, her mouth.

Perhaps he is thinking about what she said to him.

Her words.

Also today I experienced something -

- that I hope to understand in a few days.

Around my left hand -

a circle -

- of blurred white flames was shining.

I observed carefully -

- the left side of my own dark jacket.

In the centre of my heart there was a tiny white point.

I don't know -

what it means.

Also today I experienced something -

- that I hope to understand in a few days.

Yes... I made a complete mess of those obstructions.

Yes.

- The 12 frames were a gift! - Yes. That's how I took them.

It was like watching an old Leth film! Interesting!

Well, Jørgen, so far you have passed the test.

- I'm pleased to hear it. - So I've made us a little snack.

Good!

And a little vodka I'm specially looking forward to.

I've got a penchant for alcohol, as you know.

- Always before 12 noon. - That's when it works best.

- Wow, caviar! How splendid! - We should use bone spoons.

Using metal for caviar is completely wrong.

We're going to have to have you really on the ropes.

It's up to you how much you want to help me or not.

- I think you should help me. - So you say.

But...

...I think I should take care not to give you any cards.

Because you'll inevitably use them against me.

It's similar to therapy -

- where you might say the same applies.

But why go? If you don't give the therapist the cards?