Puppets can string us along

Scenes from Star Fish, which will be staged in Beijing on Sept 6, the opening show of the upcoming 2024 Beijing International Puppet Festival. In 2022, Han invited Nakache to work on another puppet show, Mending the Heavenly Metamorphosis, which was about the Chinese mythological female character Nyu Wa, who created humankind out of clay. "Nakache's direction underscores universal themes of empathy, discovery, and the beauty of diversity, inviting audiences to connect deeply with the characters and themes woven into the fabric of the puppet show," Han says. "As audiences immerse themselves in the enchanting world of Star Fish, they embark on a journey where imagination knows no limits, and where the beauty of storytelling unites hearts across continents." "After interviewing the people behind a traditional Chinese shadow puppet theater in our hometown, my father used his own money to support it, because it was dying," says Han.