Stalen Neuzen (1996)

Krisztina de Châtel takes her Dutch dance company to her home city of Budapest.

In this dance film, choreographer Krisztina de Châtel returns to Hungary, her country of birth, together with her dancers and memories. In Budapest, bridges, squares, streets, and courtyards bring the hectic energy of the city to life. The dancers resist the pace of the metropolis with powerful, physical movements. In search of peace, the group moves to the countryside, where they are confronted with another, equally compelling force: the earth itself. The journey culminates in stomping, earthy movements in which control, resistance, and endurance are central. Stalen Neuzen is the result of an intensive collaboration between choreographer Krisztina de Châtel, director Erik van Zuylen, and designer Conrad van de Ven. The film shows De Châtel's work in a distinctly cinematic context and forms a poignant portrait in which the will to control and physical discipline becomes visible and tangible.