ORIGIN – OF PUPPETS AND PEOPLE
We follow the rehearsals of a puppet play, where the timeless art of puppetry becomes a powerful vehicle for exploring profound questions about human existence and the pressing social challenges of our time.
Marlene and Detlef have dedicated their lives to puppetry. For years, they have been creating new characters and running their own puppet theatre in southern Germany, while also offering workshops to introduce newcomers to this unique craft. How can a wooden figure, with no facial expressions and joints held together only by string, be brought to life? This film documents rehearsals for the puppet play “A Few Degrees Plus – The Climate Conference”, where animal reporters expose the hypocrisy of politics and business, asking incisive questions about human existence and today’s societal challenges. As animal diplomats debate water rights on stage, the camera shifts behind the scenes to reveal the struggles of the amateur puppeteers against the backdrop of a looming climate catastrophe. A central figure in the play is a primitive human who evokes the origins of humanity and symbolises the tension between mankind’s roots and the challenges of the Anthropocene. Origin is a powerful call for creativity in times of crisis, pushing the boundaries of puppet artistry to ignite a dialogue on the urgent issues of our time.
