LisbethOvergaardNielsenPhd

Trier skaber filmen i kraft af, fremgår tydeligt i det manifest, der også denne gang
ledsager filmen:
SECOND MANIFESTO
1987
Seemingly all is well. The young men are engaged in their steady relationship with a new
generation of film. The anticonception which is supposed to contain the epidemic only
makes the birth control more effective: No unexpected creations, no bastards - the genes
are intact. There exist those young men whose relationship resembles the endless stream of
Grand Balls of an earlier era. There are also those who live together in rooms devoid of
furniture. But their love becomes expansion without soul, reduction without bite. Their
“wildness” lacks discipline and their “discipline” lacks wildness.
LONG LIVE THE BAGATELLE!
The bagatelle is humble and all-embracing. It exposes a corner without making a secret of
eternity. Its setting is limited but magnanimous and therefore gives space to live. Epidemic
manifests itself in the legitimate/serious relationship of the young men as a bagatelle - for
among bagatelles the masterpieces are numbered.
Lars von Trier 86
I manifestet hyldes bagatellen for at være den, der kan skabe liv. Filmens
sceneudsmykning og dekorationer er “begrænsede, men højsindede”, og derfor
gives der rum til liv og den eksperimenterende filmsproglige søgen. Manifestet er
med andre ord en fortaler for det lille værk, der netop via sin afgrænsede karakter
kan udfordre filmskaberen til at tænke anderledes. Grundtanken i Epidemic er den
snævre økonomiske ramme og den deraf følgende – og nødvendige – frigørelse
86 Manifestet er genoptrykt i Sekvens (1991).
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