The story of Orpheus takes the Greek myth and focuses on the sense of loss and guilt.  Only in this story rather than being a musician Orpheus is an artist, an artist trapped in his studio with a fading memory of his lost love – but nightly he is pestered and bullied by The Critic, a living embodiment of his own troubled mind.

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On this particular night Orpheus, exhausted from his mental torture, is forced to confront his guilt and fight for his sanity.  The Critic taunts and bullies Orpheus, reminding him that he is the author of his own plight.  

 

Can Orpheus ever face his own truth or will he remain trapped with The Critic forever?

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For too long, puppets - and marionettes in particular - have been viewed as a children’s medium. I believe they have the capacity to enthral and move an adult audience. 

This is my mission with ‘Orpheus’. I hope by taking the traditional marionette and creating a mature adult narrative that I can elevate the puppet towards a more dramatic presence in the world of film.

I take my inspiration from a variety of places including film, books, art and ballet. Big influences have been Fritz Lang, Murnau, Gerry Anderson, Ronnie Burkett, Quay Brothers, and Walerian Borowczyk.

 

This is a film that relies on traditional film technique, a story brought to life through the art of puppetry, not stop-motion and not CGI, but ‘in camera’ live action puppetry.

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Festivals:

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Norwich Film Festival 2022: Official section

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