maroinett puppets, usa heros, arab terrorists

A group of poor puppets storm the castle of El Senor, a brutal dictator who has hoarded resources and luxuries from his people.

A minor character from a collection of marionettes takes viewers through a small world theatre where they come across various types, including the seducer, the demagogue and the obedient masses. Ambitious puppet animation with a didactic and political purpose against propaganda methods.

The crusades come to life in Egyptian artist Wael Shawky’s beautiful Cabaret Crusades. Inspired by the writings of Lebanese writer Amin Maalouf, Shawky’s film trilogy explores the horrors of the medieval holy wars in the Middle-East – from an Arab perspective. With a cast made up entirely of puppets, the third part, The Secrets of Karbala (2014), centres on the period between the 7th and 12th centuries, covering the crusades as well as a dispute between two Islamic sects. Beautifully made of handblown Murano glass, the puppets have amazing expressive power, making the scenes full of violence, repression and torture all the more awe-inspiring.

In this modern adaptation of the ancient Persian poet Ferdowsi’s epic drama, the puppets set out in search of Rostam, an ancient hero who was abducted. After great hardship they rescue ancient heroes’ puppets that are facing crisis due to a conspiracy by modern robot toys’. Adopting a frame story structure, the film unfolds tales of the puppets appearing in the puppet show in several different layers. Narratively, on one axis it attempts a modernized restoration of the traditional puppet show, on the verge of disappearing, while on the other axis it awakens the ancient spirit of the times, through all the ancient heroes on parade. Tradition and modernity, heroes and villains are not opponents, but harmonize in the film. The puppet shows begin with rap and dance, and actual images and animation are intertwined. Fantasy and reality co-exist in this interesting work in which all the great Iranian heroes appear. Ultimately, it is a heart-warming film that shows harmony and love.