1. A Smooth Conversation - Grapes,
Pomegranates and Nail Varnish

Mandarin Ducks (Jeroen de Rijke and Willem de Rooij, 2005) begins with a slow drift: the camera moves along a slick black leather sofa towards the right, to show the back of a woman and then her hand touching a man's. There is a faint murmur of conversation. The camera moves up, showing the woman's mouth, but not her eyes. It then continues its drift, along the man's arm - revealing that the two are holding hands behind another man's back - and on to a second woman. The camera lingers on her hair, as if entertained by the thin green leaves and small white flower caught in it. Slowly, it moves around her, suggesting that soon the first face in the film will be visible. Instead, what appears is the face of the young man who was holding hands with the first woman. These playful movements continue, showing more backs, hands and arms, wine glasses and plates with grapes and pomegranates. Snatches of a fragmented but pleasant conversation can be heard, about nail varnish and personal relations, fruits and pleasantries. The characters seem intimate with each other, but there is a certain restlessness in their manner of speaking, perhaps a sign of discomfort. The camera's confident, playful moves suggest intimacy tainted with an inability to remain with something or someone for long. For the viewers the situation also might feel ambivalent, as if they had been invited to take part, but they are now gently set aside, so they end up witnessing, eavesdropping - not completely integrated, nor wholly excluded.

The scene gracefully balances