Trois danses hongroises de Brahms

Eric Pauwels takes no pleasure in making pretty pictures, but is constantly searching. He is certainly not afraid of making less obvious choices. He likes to use the “plan séquence”, one long take that covers a whole movement. In doing so the camera fully confronts the unknown, explores the space and the body evolving in that space. It is a battle, sometimes a dialogue, and sometimes a rejection. This is exactly the approach he uses in ‘Trois danses Hongroises’ danced by Michèle Anne De Mey and Olga de Soto. Pauwels only needs one shot, one take – but one where nothing is left to chance. Every movement of both camera and dancers is minutely prepared. Like every great director, Pauwels is aware of the importance of finding the right distance from the subject being filmed. In ‘Trois danses…’ he tries to suppress this distance by becoming a dance partner. Film and life melt together into an intense and warm spectacle.