Annecy 2015 – Handmade Puppet Dreams
In this one off special screening at Annecy 2015, we got to look at some of the fantastic live action puppet work championed by the Handmade Puppet Dreams festival, a touring festival hosted by IBEX Puppetry founder Heather Henson. The screening began with a lovely introduction from Heather’s sister, Lisa Henson (CEO, The Jim Henson Company) about the Handmade Puppet Dreams festival and the craft and skill that went into the production of all the films included.
The Mill at Calder’s End
Kevin McTurk – USA
Starting us off strong was this beautifully crafted gothic horror. The first shot of the film is of a troubled-looking man driving a car and, honestly, I thought it was a person. And I make puppets for a living. It was that good. But quickly it became apparent as the camera moved around that this was indeed a puppet. Now, puppets and gorgeous set pieces aside, The Mill at Calder’s End was a satisfyingly dark tale.
We follow the difficult journey of Nicholas Grimshaw as he returns home following the presumed death of his father. He travels with a sense of dread and only a vague idea of what awaits him at the mill. The voiceover perfectly conveys the building tension and complements the moody, gothic visuals. Seriously, go watch this film if you get the chance.
Round
Kirk Hendry – United Kingdom
A music video with a really interesting approach to shadow puppetry. Every single tree, creature and object are made from hands and fingers. Expertly composited to create full animals and resized for smaller or larger things interacting on the same plane.
Crane and Tortoise
Matty Sidler – USA
Lovely short story about a tortoise looking for food and the crane that has its sights set on a tortoise dinner. Excellent comedic moments as the tortoise escapes and then taunts the crane.
Colosse – A Wood Tale
Yves Geleyn – USA
An interesting mix of puppetry and CG. The main puppet and the paper trees that surround him are all physical objects, but the surrounding environment and birds are not. The design and puppetry of the main character are a real highlight of this film. A touching story of a robot and a small bird.
All This Joy
Jesse Garrison – USA
Another music video in the lineup which, for lack of a better word, was joyful. One of the band members starts his day and, bored by the same old routine and world, begins to create creatures and colourful landscapes on his table from the items around him. His bandmates however are not impressed and he is discouraged, until his sock puppet squirrel comes to life and infuses him with joy anew. They rebuild the brightly coloured, happy world and even convince the others to join them in the life-size paper forest they create.
Josephine and the Roach
Jonathan Langager – USA
This strange tale follows the burgeoning romance between a woman and a cockroach. I know, I know, it shouldn’t work, and occasionally it doesn’t quite. The filmmakers, however, have managed to craft a cockroach so adorable and sympathetic that you find yourself rooting for it over the titular Josephine’s human partner.
Josephine lives with a man who doesn’t appreciate her music, and at one point breaks her accordion so that he can drink more beer and watch TV in peace. Her secret neighbour, who lives in a tiny, almost identical apartment in the wall, plays his violin in harmony with her whenever she plays. He dreams of being with her and sends her gifts before hatching an ambitious plan to be a larger part of her life.
Genius Knows No Formula
Paul Andrejco – USA
A one-set puppetry piece, about a doctor and his assistant sheep as they gather the ingredients for a miracle elixir. Really nicely paced, excellent visual gags, and some lovely puppets.
Klonox
Thomas Guerigen – France
This film features identical puppets inside numerous tanks, traveling across a desert. They encounter a mechanical woman singing opera, a melody designed to sooth their warring nature. They all stop and exit their tanks to listen to her for a while, before getting back in and driving on past her, all humming the tune she was singing. Now, this quick gag would have been fine if not for the following things: The majority of the film is out of focus, which could be a stylistic choice in line with the heavy grain filter placed over the whole film, but I’m not so sure; the lead up to gag is waaaay too long. I get that they’re setting up the piece, but the end just wasn’t enough to justify the build up. And as for the soothing music, at times it was so piercing it was actually painful to listen to.
Daniel
Alexandre Vignaud – France, Belgium
This music video, set in a western town peopled by papery skinned puppets, is a story of execution, revenge, drinking, violence, sex, murder, and more violence. It packs a lot into its 4 mins 25 seconds, following the pacing of the music and tone well. Not for everyone, and certainly not a film for younger viewers.
Cicada Princess
Mauriccio Baiocchi – USA
Ok, first off, any film that begins with the clear, crisp tones of Stephen Fry is already a winner in my book. To then go on and explain the beautifully brief life cycle of the Cicada with astonishingly detailed puppets, and fluid puppetry is just perfect. Framed as a two-day party/dancing event for the cicadas as they search for a mate, it is surprisingly educational, although I doubt they wear tiny top-hats in real life.
Empra – Strange Condition
Jai Kenway, Donna Yeatman – Australia
The world of this music video grows as if from a pop-up book. The paper, stick and string shadow puppets move in a really pleasing subtle way (except when they’re in a panicked run of course), and they transition between scenes using that same pop-up book style, turning the pages to rearrange the set pieces.
We follow the misadventures of a guy chopping down trees in the forest, where he awakens a large serpent that chases him up a mountain. He doesn’t fare any better above the trees, and his madcap, unfortunate blundering makes for an entertaining watch.
Lessons Learned
Toby Froud – USA
Beautifully crafted puppets inhabit this parable-infused world where an old man tries to help his grandson understand the importance of learning from his triumphs and mistakes. Excellent puppetry and some truly wonderful set pieces and props. It’s a lovely story that I won’t give away too much of, however with its slower pacing I think it suffered a little being at the end of the programme, as people rushed off for their next screening or dinner.
You can find out more information about Handmade Puppet Dreams at handmadepuppetdreams.com