Soul Sanctuary: A Giant Reunion (literally) In Berlin To Celebrate The Fall Of The Wall

above: The Giant and Giantess (enormous marionettes by Royal de Luxe) reuniting.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the falling of the Berlin Wall, an unusual, and BIG, event took place in Germany in the first week of October.

In the first four days of October nearly two million people celebrated “The Berlin reunion” with the BIG GIANT and the LITTLE GIANTESS. Sunday the GIANTS’ tale ended with their celebratory parade through the government quarter. When the LITTLE GIANTESS and the DEEP SEE DIVER left Berlin by boat, hundreds of thousands said Good bye to the two fascinating GIANTS from the waterfront between Moltkebrücke and Elsenbrücke.

the press release:
spielzeit’europa | Berliner Festspiele and the legendary French street theatre company Royal de Luxe will present a theatrical event in October on the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. On their journey through Berlin the two giant marionettes measuring up to 15-meters high, the Little Giantess and the Big Giant, tell a fairytale of finding each other again after a long separation. The event takes place under the patronage of the cultural minister Bernd Neumann and comprises the main event celebrating German Unification Day. Royal de Luxe will enchant Berlin’s public with their enormous figures and will revive the emotions of 1989.

Brigitte Fuerle, artistic director of spielzeit’europa, will present “The Giants Arrive – A Fairy Tale for Berlin” from 1 - 4 October open air and with free admission. At important locations throughout the German capital, such as the Brandenburg Gate, Unter den Linden and the Rotes Rathaus (Red Town Hall), Royal de Luxe will tell a story particularly created for Berlin: ”We chose to deal with the theme of a drastic separation rather than an explicitly political one,” explained Jean Luc Courcoult, artistic director of Royal de Luxe. One day sea monsters ripped the city in two. One of these parts was then surrounded by a wall, causing the Big Giant to become separated from the Little Giantess. But then the Big Giant went searching…

“In a poetic and moving fairytale told in an incomparable manner and with a tender gaze, the giants render the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall into an unforgettable event. An event that deals with the great fortune and vast emotions of 1989 as a gift to the city and its people, as well as with the painful past and with all viewers from near and far. An October fairy tale for Berlin.” Brigitte Fuerle, artistic director of spielzeit’europa.

For 30 years Royal de Luxe have been representing exceptional street theatre, which the company practices throughout the world. Under the group’s founder and artistic director, Jean Luc Courcoult, in recent years Royal de Luxe have created fantastic theatre events using enormous human and animal figures that are guided by up to 40 actors and that move with incredible liveliness. In this way they delighted all of London in 2006 and went on to transform the streets of Santiago de Chile into a gigantic theatre festival in 2007. As part of spielzeit’europa in 2008 Royal de Luxe created the installation “La Révolte des Mannequins,” by which they captivated the pedestrians in front of KaDeWe’s display windows for an entire week.

“The Little Giantess and the Big Giant will bring magic to Berlin.” Joachim Sartorius, director of the Berliner Festspiele

The Story:

A moving and impressive celebration using the amazing giant marionettes created by Royal de Luxe, the photos tell the beautiful story better than I can.

The Giantess is awoke from sleep, showered and dressed and marched through town where she travels in a boat and slicker, eats a lolly and rides a scooter before meeting up with the Giant.

The Giant emerges from the water, where his helmet is removed and he is marched through town, awakened by music and finally led to Brandenberg gate where he will be reunited with the Giantess.