A leading figure of European minimalism, choreographer Krisztina de Châtel conceived Stalen Neuzen (“Steel Noses”) as an intimate journey back to her native Hungary and Budapest, the city of her origin. Specially crafted for the camera in close collaboration with director Erik van Zuylen and visual artist Conrad van de Ven, this hybrid work liberates dance from the confines of the stage, confronting it with the raw pulse of reality.

Across the bridges, public squares, and inner courtyards of Budapest, and onward into the boundless expanse of the Hungarian countryside, seven dancers deploy a relentless, geometric vocabulary. Pitted against the elements and the earth tearing open beneath their rhythmic stamping, the movement strives for absolute control—the choreographer’s undeniable hallmark.

The film thus unfolds as a field of creative friction, balanced between cinematic vision, scenographic rigor, and visceral physicality. Nominated for the Gouden Kalf for Best Short Film at the 1996 Dutch Film Festival in Utrecht, Stalen Neuzen remains a seminal milestone in contemporary dance film.

Director Erik van Zuylen
choreography Krisztina de Châtel
setdesign Conrad van de Ven
dance Pieter-Paul Blok, Ann Van den Broek, Gilles den Hartog, Heike Kreutzer, Massimo Molinari, Michael Strecker, Paul Waarts

Coproduction : Dansgroep Krisztina de Châtel, NPS (Pays-Bas), BRTN (Belgique).