Lars von Trier now enters the world of documentary film making. Von Trier, true to form, finds a bizarre way of showing his regard for acclaimed Danish film veteran Jørgen Leth and his 1967 short film THE PERFECT HUMAN, which he claims to have seen over 20 times. In November of 2000, von Trier gives his mentor Leth an assignment. Together they will watch and discuss Leth's classic short "a little gem that we are going to ruin," smirks von Trier. Leth then sets out to remake his own film, five times, with von Trier imposing increasingly difficult sets of obstructions (for example, (film in the most miserable place on earth)

In what becomes a duel full of dirty tricks, Leth is forced to contend with a series of creative constraints that push him to his limits. It takes him from Cuba to the red light district of Bombay, through adventures in animation in Austin, Texas (where he visits Bob Sabiston, the animating genius behind WAKING LIFE), and back to his adopted home of Haiti. Throughout, Leth proves himself a wily opponent, embracing the challenges set forth by von Trier and using each obstruction to his advantage, creating films of staggering imagination. What begins as a playful act of intellectual torture ends up a deep and thought-provoking exploration of the art of filmmaking, authorship and collaborative rivalry.