scheherazade's suitcase |
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magic, deception, revenge, puppets.
"Scheherazade's Suitcase" is a web series that celebrates Middle Eastern and Arabic storytelling through a contemporary female gaze and detailed 2-d puppetry.
The concept
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The narrator, Scheherazade, tells folk tales from the Arabian Nights, using her suitcase as an impromptu set for her meticulous paper puppets.
The original Scheherazade told the stories from 1001 Arabian Nights to stay her execution at the hand of a murderous king. Our current-day Scheherazade tells the same stories to stay her deportation by an immigration judge. |
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the process
I was incredibly lucky to collaborate with Nazanin Mehraein, an Iranian puppetry designer.
Nazanin created the images halfway around the world, then emailed them to me. I printed and built her puppets and sets in my Seattle studio.
Nazanin created the images halfway around the world, then emailed them to me. I printed and built her puppets and sets in my Seattle studio.
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the set
I love working with paper because it's so accessible: in case I inspire anyone else to want to try this, they already have the materials on hand.
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I made my first prototype using file folders, which caught the light beautifully.
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Next, I started combing thrift stores for a suitcase with the right aspect ratio and opening mechanism.
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...which got me to a working prototype that I could use to start fundraising.
Good news. It worked.
We wrapped on our first episode on September 10, 2018.
Can't wait to share it with you soon.
Can't wait to share it with you soon.
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the teamLacy Katherine Campbell (Dallas, Seattle) creator, co-writer, director
Nazanin Mehraein (Tehran, Vienna) art director, puppetry designer Mona Radziabari (Tehran, Vienna) illustrator Aisha Malik (Lahore, Sydney) co-writer Nahreen Tarzi (Toronto, Los Angeles) co-writer Parmida Ziaei (Tehran, Seattle) puppeteer Ece Muniroglu (Istanbul, Los Angeles) composer This project used the services of Maia Directors, a consulting group for artists and organizations engaging with Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian stories. https://www.maiadirectors.com |
Funding
Scheherazade's Suitcase is funded in part by the City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, 4Culture, and private funds.