Valse wals

In the opening scene of Valse Wals, the camera slowly sways to and fro, suggesting the movement of a rolling ship; a beginning that sets the tone for Mark de Cloe's adaptation of Orkater's stage triptych Valse wals/Bankstel/Zucht. The wordless tragicomedy follows the piece in three parts - the meeting, the relationship and the end of life - each against its own background. The first part, a passionate game of attracting and repelling, is set in an alcohol- and melancholy-drenched sailors' pub, the second one on and around the two-seater settee in a living room, and the third one at night on the rain-soaked streets around a subway station. As in the play, the roles of the woman and the man are played by Orkater actors Ria Marks and Titus Tiel Groenestege, who wordlessly perform the various stages in their life as a couple. Subtle acting is alternated with slapstick and flowing near-dance. With his emphatic use of camera, light and editing, De Cloe adds some distinctive elements to unusual drama.