How successfully does Jørgen Leth handle the obstructions?
Overall, he seems to be somewhat successful in reading into the different obstructions in his own way, but the 2nd one in particular didn't seem to make Trier happy. This entirely changes the tone of the next challenge, which is complete freedom -- not something Leth can really fail or succeed at, anyway. He seems to like to work around what Trier literally wants out of the obstructions to create a work he is more happy with. A good example of this is how he hates cartoons, so prefers to make an animation using rotoscoping instead.
Are the obstructions helpful in making creative work, or are they stumbling blocks?
How might this film help you make your own work?
Are the obstructions helpful in making creative work, or are they stumbling blocks?
Again, it seems to vary from each obstruction. After the first obstruction -- the limit of 12 frames for each shot -- Leth says he treats it like a gift. However, Leth does seem to feel somewhat limited in how he treats the obstructions; he wants more freedom than he is given, as shown with his decision to go with a transparent screen in the second obstruction. He often also sees them as walls to work around like this, and seems to have the most fun when he's given total freedom. However, he creates entirely different works each time, so there's no doubt that they get him thinking in new ways.
How might this film help you make your own work?
It's helpful in that it gives a new lens with which to view obstructions or rules that feel restricting when it comes to the creative process. Rather than seeing them as limiters, it's important to see the rules as something that can be utilized to create a new and interesting work with a mindset the creator hadn't previously had.
