‘Incidents of Intimacy’ Casts Trine Dyrholm, Christian Slater and Dree Hemingway
Incidents of Intimacy has cast Trine Dyrholm, Christian Slater and Dree Hemingway in the latest feature from Zentropa’s Dogma25 initiative.
Directed by Danish artist Jesper Just, the film is the second production in the company’s five-film collection. It also marks Just’s feature directorial debut, bringing his visual art background to a story about emotional isolation, attachment and the loss of control.
What Is ‘Incidents of Intimacy’ About?
Dyrholm plays a woman who struggles to recognize and connect with her own feelings. Rather than developing close relationships, she steals objects from other people and uses them to experience a sense of intimacy.
She stores these possessions in a cupboard, creating a private archive of emotional connections.
A Relationship Disrupts Her Carefully Ordered World
Her system begins to unravel when a triangular relationship develops. Feelings become separated from their original sources, and the objects gradually appear to acquire an independent existence.
As her control weakens, the story moves into emotional horror. The possessions that once helped her manage intimacy become part of a reality increasingly governed by feelings she can no longer contain.
‘Incidents of Intimacy’ Cast Brings Together Danish and International Actors
Joining Dyrholm, Slater and Hemingway are Danish performers Johannes Lilleøre, Julie Agnete Vang, Laura Drasbæk and Michael Moritzen.
Their credits include Unit One, The Commune, The Killing and The Legacy, respectively. Details of their characters, along with those played by Slater and Hemingway, have not been announced.
Trine Dyrholm Returns to Her Dogma Roots
For Dyrholm, the project creates a connection with an important chapter of her career.
She appeared in Thomas Vinterberg’s The Celebration, the first film made under the original Dogma manifesto and a Cannes Jury Prize winner.
Her subsequent credits include In a Better World, A Royal Affair, Queen of Hearts, The Girl with the Needle and Beginnings. Her involvement links the original movement with the filmmakers developing its new incarnation.
Christian Slater Reunites With Zentropa
Slater also has an existing connection to Zentropa, having appeared in Lars von Trier’s 2013 film Nymphomaniac.
Known for his breakthrough in The Name of the Rose and his Golden Globe-winning performance in Mr. Robot, he joins the film alongside Hemingway, whose credits include Starlet, While We’re Young and Love Story.
Jesper Just Makes His Feature Directorial Debut
Incidents of Intimacy is the first feature film from Just, an internationally exhibited artist whose work is held in major museum collections.
Those institutions include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim Museum, Tate Modern and Helsinki’s Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma.
Script Developed With Sissel Dalsgaard Thomsen
Just has completed the screenplay in collaboration with Sissel Dalsgaard Thomsen.
Her writing credits include Isabella Eklöf’s Kalak and Malene Choi’s The Quiet Migration. Their collaboration brings together Just’s visual practice and Thomsen’s experience in feature storytelling.
What Is Zentropa’s Dogma25 Initiative?
Announced at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2025, Dogma25 revisits the filmmaking principles associated with the original 1995 Dogma manifesto.
The initiative brings together five directors: May el-Toukhy, Milad Alami, Annika Berg, Isabella Eklöf and Jesper Just. Zentropa will produce a feature from each filmmaker.
The collective follows a shared manifesto and a new “Vow of Chastity,” designed to protect artistic independence and encourage uncompromising filmmaking.
The Dogma25 Filmmaking Rules Explained
The manifesto is described as containing ten rules. Nine were included in the announcement text provided:
- An original, handwritten screenplay: The director must write the original script by hand, prioritizing intuition during the writing process.
- Limited dialogue: At least half of the film must contain no dialogue, placing greater emphasis on visual storytelling.
- No internet during creative work: Creative processes must rely on direct human interaction and the physical world.
- Creative independence in financing: Funding must come without conditions that require changes to the film’s content.
- A small crew: No more than ten people may work behind the camera.
- Authentic locations: Filming must take place where the story is set.
- Unfiltered appearances: Makeup and changes to faces or bodies are permitted only when required by the narrative.
- Existing production materials: Items used in production must be rented, borrowed, found or previously used.
- A one-year production limit: The film must be made within a year to preserve creative momentum.
Together, these restrictions emphasize visual expression, smaller productions and greater control for the filmmakers.
Financing and Distribution for ‘Incidents of Intimacy’
The five Danish Dogma25 projects have core financing through a collaboration involving Zentropa, DR, Nordisk Film Distribution and Netflix in the Nordic region.
Incidents of Intimacy also receives support from the Danish Film Institute, the Eastern Denmark Film Fund and Nordisk Film & TV Fond.
Who Will Release the Film?
Nordisk Film Distribution will distribute the Dogma25 films, followed by availability through Netflix in the Nordics and DR.
TrustNordisk is handling international sales. A release date for Incidents of Intimacy has not been announced.