Puppets from all over the world take the stage at Israel’s annual international Puppet Theater and Film Festival in Holon, just south of Tel Aviv, from July 21 to 25.
The thirteenth annual puppet festival offers workshops, art exhibits and films, all relating to puppetry, so that audiences of all ages can enjoy “the puppetry experience from each and every angle possible,” says Ilan Savir, artistic and general director of the festival.
Savir told reporters that he considers himself to be a missionary, whose goal is to bring puppetry to the greater Israeli public. A puppeteer himself, Savir describes puppetry as an art that requires extensive multitasking skills and versatility: “Puppetry is one of the arts that combines all the others,” he explains.
“It combines the plastic arts, all the stage arts… you need to have the qualities of an actor. You have to know how to move your body, know how to transfer it into some kind of a tool; you need to have voice qualities… puppetry is a ‘junction’ where all the arts meet.”
Savir hopes the festival will enlighten the Israeli public and reveal to them that this underground theater technique is not simple entertainment, but an elevated art form.
Fighting for Israel's truth
We cover what makes life in Israel so special — it's people. A non-profit organization, ISRAEL21c's team of journalists are committed to telling stories that humanize Israelis and show their positive impact on our world. You can bring these stories to life by making a donation of $6/month.
