About

'Performing Ourselves' is a selection of short films that explore the power of puppets as human simulacra and surrogate truth-tellers, demonstrated through performance traditions from across the globe.

Blue Like an Orange 1967

Beyond mere imitation, the puppet – animated by man’s desire – conveys secret dreams.

This immersive half hour journey into the world of puppetry – directed by acclaimed French puppeteer Philippe Genty - feels more like an experimental film than a traditional documentary. Flitting quickly between countries and puppetry styles, we are taken from East to West and back again, from marionettes to shadow play to mask work and beyond. Circumventing traditional narrator-led documentary style, the voiceover feels more like it’s observing and commenting rather than leading the viewer. Dialogue from non-English speaking performances is not subtitled, inviting an emotional rather than purely intellectual response, and many sequences highlight the audience’s reactions. Look out for a young Jim Henson and an early performance of the ‘New York Muppets’.

25 minutes | Ages 12+

Interview with a Hero 2025

"A Cambodian-Australian shadow puppeteer is given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform on national television, but is interrupted by memories of his past in the Khmer Rouge." Adelaide Film Festival

15 minutes | Ages 12+ | Contains mature themes

Fly Away 2020

Nick Lehane and Derek Fordjour’s Bunraku-inspired art installation was filmed as part of an exhibition at Petzel Gallery in New York. The resulting film has screened at galleries and film festivals internationally.

The performance follows a Black ‘everyman’ wooden puppet, manipulated by White puppeteers to explore the concept of freedom. Bringing together the frisson of live performance with the intimacy of cinematic framing Fly Away combines the best of stage and screen elements to deliver a playful, uplifting and ultimately moving experience.

32 minutes | Ages 12+ | Contains mature themes