In the late 1980s, Polish film maker Krzysztof Kieslowski (Blue, Blanc, Rouge) made his breakthrough with the television series Dekalog/Ten Commandments. A series of ten short films about recognizable people, who live in the same apartment building in Warsaw. We come to know them at times when they are confronted with fear and losses. On occasion not understanding and on occasion full of sympathy, they try to get a grip on how life is emerging for them. Thus they break away from commandments that tell them what to do from afar.

Koen Tachelet (The Asylum Seeker, Instinct) adapted the film scenarios to make a remarkable script in which reflections and literary sketches are incorporated in the dialogues in a natural, yet emotional way. Together with Els Dottermans, Frank Focketyn and Oscar Van Rompay, the Wunderbaum actors were directed by Johan Simons. This provides tense and subtle performances, a dialogue between generations, a Flemish and Dutch part-song.

The first part encloses the first five commandments: Thou shalt not make for yourself an idol / Thou shalt not make wrongful use of the name of your God / Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy / Honour thy father and mother / Thou shalt not kill.

This performance has been nominated for the Theatre Festival Vlaanderen ’08.

Director Johan Simons
Editting Koen Tachelet
Actors Walter Bart, Wine Dierickx, Els Dottermans, Frank Focketyn, Matijs Jansen, Maartje Remmers, Marleen Scholten, Oscar Van Rompay
Dramaturgy Jeroen Versteele
Design Bert Neumann
Costume design An De Mol
Lightdesign Dennis Diels
Production Wunderbaum and NTGent
Thankfully to Münchner Kammerspiele