In 2011, Belgian choreographer and dancer Michèle Anne De Mey and filmmaker Jaco Van Dormael asked themselves an unusual question: is it possible to make a feature-length film on a kitchen table and dance using only hands? The pair retreated to an attic that became a genuine cabinet of wonders. Soil, a dollhouse, seashells, mirrors, an electric train set, Christmas lights, a camera… A miniature film studio gradually took shape. Tiny sets emerged, allowing a movie to be created live on stage.
And then the hands began to dance.
Filmed as if they were living characters, they gracefully tell the five love stories of Gisèle, an elderly woman who, in the twilight of her life, asks herself: “Where do people go when they disappear from our lives?” The box of memories opens…
Kiss & Cry is a jewel of poetry and invention, a balm for the heart and a delight for the eyes. Its emotional power resonates with childhood, love and the enduring force of a life fully lived.
In 2018, audiences at the Théâtre de Carouge discovered Cold Blood, the duo’s second creation. Today, the revival of Kiss & Cry reminds us that the magic of theatre is sometimes far less ephemeral than we imagine.