By Valerie Milano
Hollywood, CA (The Hollywood Times) 6/18/25 – Making its West Coast Premiere at the Dances With Films Festival, French short film Waltz for Three, directed by Oriana Ng, is a quietly arresting piece of cinema that unfolds like a chamber play—intimate, lyrical, and rich with emotional subtext.
Set within a sharply observed triangle of relationships, Waltz for Three explores the tensions between connection and isolation, intimacy and restraint. The film doesn’t shout to be heard; instead, it leans into silences, glances, and body language, allowing its drama to build with a patient, poetic grace.
At the heart of this emotional choreography are two central performers: Ophélie Lehmann and Mikaël Mittelstadt. Director Oriana Ng, who also wrote, co-produced, and co-edited the film, praised her leads in an interview with The Hollywood Times: “I relied heavily on my two leads, Ophélie Lehmann and Mikaël Mittelstadt—they’re simply amazing. We kept performances natural and nuanced. Their on-screen chemistry let us go to places I didn’t even expect—like during the dance scene, Ophélie became unexpectedly emotional, and Mikaël created an entire backstory that shines through in small moments. Trusting them and supporting them was key.”
The “waltz” in Waltz for Three serves as both a metaphor and a literal act of connection. Ng explained, “Although some viewers call it more swaying than a formal waltz, the idea was to share a first physical contact—two people touching for the first time. I edited it during COVID, so the importance of physical closeness really hit me.” That closeness plays out onscreen with aching delicacy, particularly when “Ophélie’s character is grieving her husband, [and] Mikaël’s character becomes a living stand-in—she even dresses him like her husband. It’s about missing someone, sharing a moment, and the bittersweet intimacy of dance.”
Cinematographer Emilija Gašić’s lens captures this intimacy with a painterly stillness. “We didn’t hire a dance coach—just played waltz music and let them find the movement,” Ng shared. “The actors improvised the dance, and in the final take even the music playback was silent—they danced from memory, which shows their talent.” A striking mirror shot designed by Gašić splits the scene visually into “two halves,” echoing the film’s emotional dualities.
Click below to see our exclusive interview:
Ng’s stylistic choices nod to a lineage of French and Italian cinema. She cited Jacques Audiard’s Rust and Bone as an inspiration, along with visual and tonal touches from Ettore Scola’s A Special Day and Visconti— “plus a touch of Fellini,” she added.
Performance-wise, the cast delivers with quiet intensity. Each actor brings subtlety to their role, conveying vulnerability, longing, and hesitation without the need for excessive dialogue. This is a film that trusts its audience to feel deeply without being told what to feel.
As for the future of Waltz for Three, Ng remains reflective: “I’ve considered telling the story from his or her point of view or building up to this scene as a climax. But there’s something beautiful about this singular encounter, so I’m undecided.”
What makes Waltz for Three particularly compelling is its refusal to offer easy answers. It’s a story about emotional geometry—where closeness doesn’t always mean connection, and distance doesn’t always mean disinterest. It invites viewers to lean in, reflect, and perhaps see themselves mirrored in the awkward silences and yearning stares.
In a festival known for bold, genre-spanning work, Waltz for Three stands out for its restraint and emotional intelligence. It’s a film that lingers long after the credits roll—much like the unresolved ache of a dance that never quite finds its final step.
Ng and her team can be followed online via @troisvalseurs.film and @oriana.sy.ng. As she concluded, “Merci to my incredible international crew for making this film possible!”
Verdict: ★★★★☆
A beautifully composed meditation on human connection—elegant, evocative, and haunting in its simplicity.
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