Requiem for a Puppet

2016

On a lonely Halloween evening, a young boy discovers a mysterious puppet theatre where strange forces will keep him for the rest of his life.

In a small square, in a small town, a small puppet theatre stands all alone.
Old Mr. Celestino, the latest of a long dynasty of puppeteers, spends his days performing to no one.
He used to be known as “The Amazing” but no more. No more children to watch his shows or laugh at his puppets. His spark is gone.
Without an audience, his puppets become frustrated and restless. Some of them even begin plotting to get rid of their master…
“Requiem for a Puppet” is a story of the end; a story of what could happen when our imagination gets lost and we forget what it was like to be a child.

This film follows a physical and surreal path, inspired in part by the works of both Tim Burton and Jan Svankmajer. It is also an approach that comes directly from the tradition of the classic glove puppets show, with characterisations from the Italian “Commedia dell’Arte”.

This film aims to merge the director’s life-long passions: puppetry and cinema, but most of all, to bring these puppets to life and make the audience believe that they are real (and perhaps they are). To dive into another world, the world of the once “Amazing” Mr. Celestino and his marvellous Puppets.

Director/Writer: Emanuele Bonomi / Producer: Julia Souchtchinskaia / DOP: Thomas Rowe /

Prod. Design: Shalini Adnani / Editor: Naomi Waring / © The London Film School 2016

TECHNICAL INFO

Running time: 14:32

Spoken language: English

Orginated on: 35mm film, (24 fps)

Master format: Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) 1920×1080 / Sound Stereo Dolby Digital

Colour: Black and White

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Produced in 2016 in London (UK)