In Dolle (2023), a family of moles shelter underground. Anthropomorphised and in human-like furnished surroundings, the parents sit and read aloud while the sickly children sleep in their beds. The parents recite numbers back and forth from a stack of paper that they each hold. There seems to be no point or outcome to their counting and yet they are diligent, forceful, and correcting in their delivery. While meaningless, their intentionality and self-imposed criteria speaks volumes, and the tension signals a high stakes encounter. The peculiar situation of a claustrophobic, repetitive, mechanical back and forth is heightened by occasional interruptions off screen; a cuckoo clock chimes, a tap drips, the children cough, and occasionally we hear an almighty clamour of objects tumbling. These interruptions suggest an extended narrative that is never revealed. We are cinematically trapped, denied a revelation. Known for his structuralist approach to film-making, Marcon uses repeating structural elements such as hidden codes, prop placement, and camera angles to convey meaning beyond what is being seen or heard. The visual fabric of the film-making process itself supports an underlying narrative and enables the audience to feel and sense the drama unfolding. These kinds of structural cues become a language of their own and render the actual spoken language – in this case a ceaseless string of numbers – the least significant aspect. It is a work of emotion and affect, captured in the frustrations and absurdity we feel when confronted with the scene.