International puppets to entertain Istanbul again

ISTANBUL - Istanbul is readying to welcome puppets from all over the world as part of the 12th International Puppet Festival. The festival, which starts tomorrow and continues until May 20 will be organized in different venues of the city, including Taksim and Sultanahmet squares The festival that has so far brought masters of puppet and shadow theater from Japan and Argentina and from Norway and Iran to the country, will once again present international puppet theater to Turkish audiences. The 12th edition of the International Istanbul Puppet Festival will be held from May 5 to 20.The Puppet Festival, organized with the support of the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Performance Arts Directorate, will take place at the French Culture Center, Kukla Istanbul, Taksim Square, Profilo Culture Center, Sultanahmet Square, Caddebostan Culture Center and Ümraniye Meydan Shopping Mall. The festival’s art director, Cengiz Özek, and Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Performing Arts Director Dikmen Gürün held a press conference last week to introduce the festival. Gürün said the major aim of the festival was to survive and support traditional Turkish Hacıvat Karagöz plays and the art of puppetry, one of the most important types of traditional Turkish theater. "The people of Istanbul will view the best of this art form during the festival," she said.Tribute to Metin And Özek said this year’s festival would be dedicated to Professor Metin And, who made great contributions to traditional Turkish theater and died in 2008. He said the festival’s honorary award would be given to Istanbul Modern Museum for its exhibition titled "In Praise of Shadow." The award will be presented at the opening ceremony on May 5. "The festival program is very rich. Twenty well-known groups from 12 countries will present a total of 75 shows in 17 different venues. Among other events to be organized as part of the festival will be the Mediterranean Puppet Symposium, Egyptian Puppet Exhibition, documentary screenings, Hacıvat Karagöz workshops, Philippe Genty Group workshops and talks. This festival will make the art of puppetry a hot issue again," he said. He added that one of the documentary films to be shown in the festival would feature the technique of an Indonesian shadow theater artist and Metin Özlen’s technique of producing the traditional Hacıvat Karagöz plays.This year’s festival is joined by selected groups from France, Russian Federation, Hungary, Spain, Brazil, Japan, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Iran, Italy and Turkey.World-famous theater company Philippe Genty, with its owner, Genty, acclaimed French master of theatrical fantasy and illusion, is the most prominent name of this year’s International Puppet Festival. Company Philippe Genty is presenting an inspired and original work that merges visual and physical theater with dance and puppetry.The company will meet the Turkish audience for the first time and perform its play "Zigmund Follies." Genty, who is working on the fantastic language of objects, is using dance, light, object, action and theater together in a fascinating way. As part of the festival, the Philippe Genty group will also organize a three-day workshop at the Istanbul Met-ropolitan Municipality City Theaters Harbiye Stage on May 12, 13 and 14. Mediterranean Puppet Symposium The festival will also host the Mediterranean Puppet Symposium at Istanbul Modern Museum on May 5 and 6. Issues such as "Puppet Tradition in the Mediterranean," "Karagöz and its Effect on Mediterranean Puppetry," "Puppet Interaction in the Mediterranean" and "Mediterranean Puppetry and Society Ğ Yesterday and Today" will be discussed in the symposium.Tickets for the festival can be purchased from Biletix and box offices one hour before the start of plays. For further information about the festival please visit www.istanbul2010.org, www.istanbulkuklafestivali.org, www.istanbulpuppetfestival.com.