The puppets are more than what they seem...

Les Anes Plafond - photo: Vincent Muteau

The seventeenth world puppetry festival in Charleville-Mézières this month was the ultimate combination of all the Arts.

More than half a century after the first edition of the World Festival, they remain faithful to puppetry, more than ever, attracting more and more festival participants from across the world.

This year, they were represented by one hundred companies from five continents, from 27 countries - France, of course, but also the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Russia, Israel, India, Iran, South Africa ... and another hundred troops scattered through the "festival fringe" .

The success was largely attributed to the personality of the late and great, Jacques Felix, founder of the event in 1961, and amateur puppeteer himself who started the renowned troupe in Charleville 'Les Petits Comédiens de Chiffons' who had embarked on the adventure, accompanied by its volunteers (the residents of Charleville -Mézières).

Since his death in 2006, the festival now held every two years, always contains the same original enthusiasm. For this 17th edition, about 150,000 spectators attended.
To read the full article in the original French, click here! To check out some great festival clips on You Tube, click here! The festival Face Book page can be found here.