LUNA

Televize Estráda
CZ|45 [min]
gallery

Puppet theatre showcase for adults - psychedelia, underground and even horror.
Puppet theatre never was and is not just a fun for children. It's a genre that is continuously exploring and remaking the adult world as well, giving birth to interesting experiments and borderline artistic attempts - as scarce and rare those may be. The showcase in Alfred ve dvoře provides a space to explore these liminal areas of the puppet art.

The main character Jiří lives in the county town of Luna, in the north-west of this country. He resides in a small flat, from which he digitally contacts and later physically meets his friends. This is a realistic tale from a small town. Jiří is a sensitive idealist, who hides away from the real world in his flat or on social networks. In terms of his chosen company he is selective, but seeks love and attention at every turn. In connection with his birthday celebration, Jiří goes to the town centre to meet his old friends Kateřina and Bob. During discussions on pop culture, the sparks begin to fly between Bob and Katka, which they both interpret in their own manner. When it is late the group relocates to stay over at Jiří’s flat, where the romantic portents unravel.

Cast: Albert Hrubý, Mikuláš Suchý

Estráda is an internet platform producing audiovisual content. However, at the same time it is also a fictional universe inhabited by puppet characters. These figures have their own profiles on social network, where they present their stances and stories. The figures of television editors are avatars of actual authors. All of the characters work together at TV Estráda, a kind of bizarre organisation resembling Kafka’s Castle.

Estráda Television produces puppet theatre plays, films, serials, live sports broadcasts, programmes focusing on various themes (music, gastronomy, religion). All of this work is interconnected, and reflects the development of the fictional world of TV Estráda. Nevertheless, the individual products (especially theatre presentations) can be consumed also by uninitiated viewers. The stock of puppets and stage sets was established through a joint composition of all the artefacts from previous films by TV Estráda producers. The artistic style is therefore not uniform, but by contrast, highly diverse. Toys and purchased models are also used, as well as an extensive edition of Munzberg’s puppets from the serially produced family theatre.