20/05/2005

According to Dutch news agency ANP, an ambitious cinematic adaptation of the Harold Pinter play Betrayal is underway in the Netherlands. The project will be helmed by Mijke de Jong, who won a Glass bear for her film Bluebird at the recent Berlin Film Festival and the actors will all come from a theatre group called 'Annette Speelt' headed by actor Thijs Römer, whose previous film experiences include several works for the late Dutch director Theo van Gogh.

Betrayal tells the story of the relationship of a husband, his wife and her lover. The interesting thing about the play is that it is told backwards; much like the recent Ozon film 5x2. The film was already adapted for the screen in 1983 by the British and starred the thespians Jeremy Irons and Ben Kingsley.

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De Jong wants to film her adaptation over four years of time to actually coincide with the time that elapses in the play. Very important current events will be part of the background of the film to underline the passing of time. Says Römer: "The film also has to be a document of four years [in the history] of the Netherlands". Römer wrote the screenplay and will be playing the part of the lover whilst Michel Sluysmans will make his screen-debut as the husband. The role of the wife remains to be cast. Filming is scheduled to start this summer. Earliest distribution date would be the winter of 2008/2009. Bedrog, as the Dutch translation of Betrayal is called, will be produced by Column Producties in co-operation with the theatre group Annette Speelt. The theatre group will also bring the Pinter piece back into theatres when the film will be released.