Philippe Genty "Pierrot"

The celebrated French puppeteers Compagnie Philippe Genty demonstrate their artistry with several different kinds of figures, ranging from the human to the dreamlike. The sketches explore the nature of the puppet experience, and are tuned exactly to being viewed within the film rectangle. These “puppets” go far beyond the idea of non-human actors; they have their own sound effects, may overcome their masters, and usually do the completely unexpected. Drifting toward Niagara Falls a puppet in a boat turns off the water and walks to safety. In “Metamorphosis” man’s life becomes a kind of balloon, which is eaten by a fantastic organism and then transforms it. In “Pierrot” a marionette determines to liberate himself from the strings that control him. With freedom comes collapse. “We have explored a series of images,” says Philippe Genty, “that leave the imagination free, as in listening to music. It appeals more to the subconscious, and reveals buried feelings.