Dogville

Dogville is a 2003 experimental drama film written and directed by Lars von Trier and co-produced by several European countries. It is the first installment of von Trier's unfinished 'USA – Land of Opportunities' trilogy, followed by Manderlay (2005); the planned third film, Washington, was never made. The film competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, which ultimately went to Gus Van Sant's Elephant.

The story follows Grace Mulligan, a woman fleeing gangsters who takes refuge in the small Colorado town of Dogville. The residents agree to hide her in exchange for physical labor, but gradually begin to exploit and humiliate her, leading to a devastating reckoning. Shot almost entirely without sets, using only chalk lines drawn on a stage floor, the film features an ensemble cast including Nicole Kidman, Paul Bettany, Lauren Bacall, Stellan Skarsgård, and James Caan. Though it received polarized reviews on release, its reputation grew, earning a place in the 2016 BBC poll of the greatest films of the 21st century.