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Giulio Lichtner lives and works in France as set designerand costumer. He sent me some photos, taken in Le Havre, showing two giantpuppets exhibited in some harbour provided French towns. So Giuliowrote:
"The show begins when a local television news announcesthat a strange container (containing the giraffe) appeared in the main squareand a giant was seen landing, but then nobody saw him more.
Then a rumour is spread that the giant is sleepingin a certain town corner.
Since the first night the courious people go aroundlooking for him, and it's possible indeed to meet the giant sleeping in hishammock. This puppet is provided with a forced air system (such as that openingand closing the bus doors) causing a breath movement to the chest and themouth no needing a puppet-master.
The quarter citizens hear him breathing during allthe night. It's like the night sea noise.
At the morning the operators disguised as Lilliputianscome and hang the puppet at a crane built just for the show with scrap ironand obsolete harbour machinery.
In the meantime a rumour is spread that the giant waslocated and somebody, before going to his job, tries to see him, while somekindergarten children harry up after their teachers to reach the giant whenhe'll wake up, because he'll take his coffee and will wear his shoes andthen he will have his walk, so that the children can only see him to go speedlyaway. In fact he seems slowly walking, but his steps are three meters
in lenght and require a big effort from the operators pulling the ropes ason a sailboat.
So the days are spent. What makes people curious andpassionate is that nobody can follow the giant in all his movements, becauseyou should be free all the day to look for him, since the news don't speakabout the path and the schedule.
So little by little the people speak about him as hewere a true person. And when he lives all people feel his lack.
The giraffe, high as a five floors building,is an engineering amazement. It's incredible how it's movements are similarto the movoements of a true animal, from the tongue to the queue. It breathstoo and doesn't worry about the crowd just as a true giraffe. But neverperfection is the best: you can't feel the life in that perfect model".
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