DANCES WITH FILMS 2025 REVIEW! Oriana Ng’s short film, Les Trois Valseurs (Waltz for Three), tells a story of human connection as a wealthy woman, Agnès (Ophélie Lehmann), drives into the forest toward a line-up of prostitutes. Never to step out amongst the ladies, Jean (Mikaël Mittelstadt), walks up to her car and informs her of his rates. Agnès is not there for sex, but for company, and Jean gets in her car.
When Agnès and Jean arrive at her mansion, Jean looks around, while Agnès slips into something more comfortable. Eyeing the ballerina statue in the alcove, Jean offers to dance with Agnès.
Ophélie Lehmann as Agnès shares a tender moment with Jean in Oriana Ng’s Les Trois Valseurs.
“…intimate moments between Agnès and Jean fill the emptiness they both carry…”
What is interesting about Les Trois Valseurs is the transactional nature of the pay-for-intimacy arrangement. Both Agnès and Jean are seeking something more from the relationship and somehow believe that money will provide it for them. Agnès is seeking to fill the loneliness that came with her husband’s passing. She looks to fulfill her emptiness by finding something in Jean that reminds her of the intimate connection she recently lost. Jean, on the other hand, uses his occupation to find meaning and value. But will the intimate moments between Agnès and Jean fill the emptiness they both carry?
Les Trois Valseurs is both poetic and lyrical. Filmmaker Oriana Ng exercises an incredible amount of control, exploring the film’s themes while directing Ophélie Lehmann and Mikaël Mittelstadt to convey subtle emotions with great restraint. Les Trois Valseurs will deeply tug at your heart in hopes of finding the connection we so desperately need.
Les Trois Valseurs (Waltz for Three) screened at the 2025 Dances With Films.
"…the connection we so desperately need..."
