Lalkarz

Michael Meschke is one of the world’s top puppeteers. At the age of five, he and his family escaped from Nazi Germany to Sweden. From there, after graduation, he set off around the world, traveling with his puppet ensemble for over six decades. During that time he amassed a collection of over 3,000 marionettes that must now vacate unsuitable basement storage in a Stockholm museum. But each has its own story and unmistakable personality, whether the charismatic Don Quixote, the lovely Penelope, the inquisitive Baptiste, or the mysterious Antigone. Deferring to the power of suggestion, Polish director Wiktoria Szymańska eschews standard biopic methods, focusing instead on Michael Meschke’s uncanny ability to imbue his puppets for a few minutes with living emotion and inimitable expression. In charmingly filmed scenes, the master induces his “actors” to portray the gamut of archetypal human emotions – from love, regret, and passion, to the fear of death. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)