cultivate culture

The biggest production in Chile’s movie industry is now in theatres. And, its cast are all makeshift puppets: pipe-cleaners, grandma’s old buttons, socks, googily eyes, cardboard, the works. For instance, the roles of the technicians in the news-studio, where most of the characters work, were filled by industrious blowup bowling pins. Talk about animating everything in sight. It makes the Muppets look like plastic pre-fab.

The movie is a scathing criticism of the evils of collectionists, obscene luxury and fame´s toll on friendships, the breaking of free spirits through the selfish incarceration of pets, the cruelty of the overprotecting machista sock parent, the…

Ok, maybe it’s not quite scathing, nor a criticism but more a hilarious parody; full of puppets exposing the ironies of life and of big production movies. They’re so good at this that the main character doesn’t have facial features, not even an expressive mouth, and they are able to create layers of character (not fabric) in this furry Juanín better than any Dakota Fanning act any day. This movie has given Max and I serious doubts about our chosen career paths. They must have had so much fun making this movie! Trailer here.

Chile is this skinny little random country that can now boast of having contributed a creatively delicious movie that laughs at everything, including themselves. Reminding the world that NO ONE is ever too old for puppets. So why isn’t the puppet movie a genre?

By the way, when was the last time you made your friends handmade birthday cards? This was a question I was asking myself coming out of this movie.