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Victoria (1951), mother of the already well-known James and Aurélia Thiérrée, Eugene Anthony (1953), Jane Cecil (1957), Annette Emily (1959) and Christopher James (1962). Monday, 22 September at 17:30 GRANDFATHER AND GRANDSON BURLESQUE ON CARMEN Script, direction and editing; Charlie Chaplin Cast: Charlie Chaplin as Darn Hosiery, Edna Purviance as Carmen, Jack Henderson as Lilias Pastia, Leo White as Morales, John Rand as Escamillo Production: Essanay Films, SAD Duration: 23' b/w, 1915 In 1916 the producers re-cut Burlesque on Carmen without Chaplin's knowledge. They inserted in the filma story with Ben Turpin and a Gypsy band. Chaplin sued them. Carmen is a parody of Cecil B. DeMille'sfilm of the same title and Bizet's opera which was very popular at the time. Chaplin plays Don Jose whose name he changed in the film to Darn Hosiery (mended sock). LA SYMPHONIE DU HANNETON Direction and production: James Thiérrée Cast: James Thiérrée, Rafaëlle Boitel, Magnus Jakobsson, Uma Ysamat Production: La Compagnie du Hanneton I l'Espace des arts de Chalon-sur Saône, France Distribution: Sopat, Paris Duration: 76' colour, 2007 Charlie Chaplin's grandson James Thiérrée (b. 1974) grew up in a circus. Le Cirque imaginaire was conceived and founded by his parents Jean-Baptiste and Victoria Chaplin. They first gave up on lions, tigers, sawdust and many other conventional circus props to the make ac step further in aesthetic in their new Le Cirque invisible. The children, James and Aurélia performed with them from an early age."ln one of the numbers/'James remembers,"they locked us in suitcases and when they put them down, we'd push our legs out and flee from the stage." James, it is said, looks a little like his grandfather: he has the same sparkling eyes, the same mischievous smile, knows how to turn banal into precious and, like his grandfather, has many other talents. As of the age of twenty-five he conceives, directs and performs in his own productions. The first among them was La Symphonie du Hanneton, a dream world of a kind. Its darker sequel La Veillée des Abysses was inspired by Maeterlinck's Life of the Bees. His latest work is Au Revoir Parapluie/Farewell

The label 'contemporary circus'doesn't do justice to his heartstopping work, which weaves poetic reverie, fantastical comedy insouciant acrobatics and dance. The Vines (UK) on James Thiérrée's film

I love stories, tales, journeys, but I also love contrasts, Incertitude, paradoxes, enigmas, mystery... To me, La Symphonie du Hanneton is many images and wishes which no longer belong in the attic. James Thiérrée

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