UNIMA International at the World Festival of Puppet Theatres in Charleville-Mézières
from 21 to 27 September
Happy Apero! UNIMA’s international aperitifs
From 21 to 26 September
5pm > 7pm
At the Maison des Ailleurs
WELCOME!
UNIMA International invites you to the Maison des Ailleurs (n°28). All week long, from 5 to 7 p.m., come meet peers from around the world and discuss upcoming projects of our association in a friendly and festive atmosphere.
More info: www.unima.org / contact@unima.org
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21 September: GARDEN OF PEACE: Let’s Celebrate the International Day of Peace
Organised under the values of UNIMA, which upholds fundamental human rights as set out in UNESCO’s Universal Declaration, the Garden of Peace is a gathering to celebrate every person’s right to peace. In these turbulent times, we come together to listen, understand, and explore how puppetry can contribute to the greater good. As part of the UNIMA opening meeting at FMTM, the Garden of Peace will be dedicated to our colleagues, puppetry artists at risk.
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22 September: FRIENDSHIP TOAST: A Toast to the new UNIMA team!
Come and share a friendship drink with General Secretary Fabrizio Montecchi, President Louise Lapointe, and several others!.. Italian and Quebec specialties as appetizers!
By reservation – please confirm your attendance
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23 September: Launch of the UNIMAGAZINE!
Come and discover UNIMAGAZINE, a world tour of puppetry and magazines! This is an opportunity to talk to members of the editorial committee and authors who will be present. Presented by the editorial committee of UNIMAGAZINE
More info: unima.org/en/international-magazine
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24 September: ACROSS THE BORDERS: Collaborations between UNIMA National Centers.
A moment to discover and exchange around four international experiences of collaborations between UNIMA National Centres.
Proposed by UNIMA Puppetry Collaboratorium
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25 September: PRAGUE 2029: Breeze from UNIMA’s Birthplace
Join the Czech UNIMA Centre for a taste of Prague’s spirit and a friendly talk about the upcoming jubilee UNIMA Congress in Prague 2029
Proposed by UNIMA-Czech Republic
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26 September: IMAGINE! Building Friendships for Future and Happiness
Welcome to the UNIMA networking party! Let’s dance and have deep talks to imagine a happy future.
Proposed by UNIMA Futures & Happiness Commissions
✅ Additional Event:
You are also warmly invited to:
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27 September – Autobiographical writing – Women and puppetry – 09 am > 12:30 pm / 75 Forest avenue n°14
After a first stage in Ravenna in 2024, researchers and artists will gather at the FMTM for the second part of a project on autobiography, as part of a reflection on the relationship between women and puppetry. They’ll come together to reflect on the themes of erasure, injury, fragility and vulnerability. Together, they address the issues between our multiple identities and the potential of puppetry to give “body” to domestic and public representations of our lives and our narratives.
With: Cristina Grazioli, Cariad Astles, Felice Amato, Roberta Colombo, Alissa Mello, Magali Chouinard, Yael Rasooly, Raven Kaliana et Zahra Sabri, and others…
Proposed by the Pôle International de la Marionnette – Jacques Félix, which welcomes and supports the work of researchers in the field of puppetry. A new event, the ‘Têtes chercheuses’ (Research Heads) report on these projects.
More info: https://marionnette.com/evenements/tetes-chercheuses
For more information about all UNIMA events: contact@unima.org
“I am Fatima Pourghasemi, daughter of Mohsen Pourghasemi, from the city of Hamedan in Iran. I am 24 years old and have been working in theater since I was 4. I started participating in puppet theater festivals at the age of 8, and I am a long-time member of UNIMA in Iran. I am deeply in love with puppets.”
Dear Fatima Poorghasemi, I’m very happy that you wrote to us. We all send you our warmest, regards!
Josip
Felicitaciones a quienes han hecho posible la Revista Internacional UNIMAGAZINE, en tres idiomas, cubriendo el espacio que existía de una publicación a nivel mundial que tomara en cuenta lo escrito sobre títeres, en el presente, en los cinco continentes. Estaremos atentos a “Launch of the UNIMAGAZINE!”, si es que se transmitiera on line. Bravísimo.
Hello from NYC! I am wondering if these events will be shown online, via Zoom or otherwise.
Thank you.
Pouria Nouri is a sexual abuser and accused in Iran’s #MeToo movement. How can such a prestigious festival not check the background of its filmmakers? I’m disappointed to see an announcement for screening a film by an abuser.
You can visit the Instagram @Me_too_movement_iran to read the victims’ testimonies about Pouria Nouri’s sexual harassment and assault stories!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CxD9Ny7x_87/?igsh=MXd2OGRsdWcxMmpsag==
Dear Ms. Hana,
Thank you very much for sharing your concerns regarding the background of director Mr. Nouri. Please be assured that UNIMA takes this matter seriously and will address it with the appropriate consideration.
With warm regards,
UNIMA Communications
Hello,
With regard to the online allegations made against Pouria Nouri, the well-known Iranian filmmaker, it should be noted that the Instagram page linked here lacks any form of official status or credibility, and Pouria Nouri has no legal case concerning these accusations. These claims were published two years ago on an unofficial online page without verification or legal validity, and during these two years, Pouria Nouri has been officially active in his home country, Iran, with his films being released publicly.
This message is issued by the team of The Lobatbaz film and Siavash Sattari in response to online harassment and the spread of false allegations.
Unfortunately, a disruptive individual named “Zohreh”—whose full identity has been provided to the Lobatbaz team by UNIMA UK—has been using fake accounts to harass this cultural and artistic project. It should be noted that, due to the dissemination of defamatory and false content against the director of the film, this individual has recently come under legal prosecution.
We emphasize that the content published on the Instagram page @Me_too_movement_iran is entirely fabricated and false.
The purpose of such pages and accounts is merely to create scandal around artists. It is enough to look at the date of the circulated post, which goes back two years. During these two years, The Lobatbaz has been officially screened in Iran with all necessary legal permits—documents of which are available.
It must also be stressed that there has never been any legal case against the director of The Lobatbaz. Over the past years, Pouria Nouri has continued his artistic work in Iran without any problem, participating at recognized professional levels. A simple look at his Instagram page confirms this.
Recently, the announcement of The Lobatbaz’s screening by UNIMA has received wide coverage in Iranian media, and journalists are eager to follow the journey of this important documentary in recent years.
We sincerely hope that, with the presence of a UNIMA member—an Iranian woman who has been introduced to UNIMA International as the representative of the film and is now traveling to France—the screening of The Lobatbaz will be held with the dignity and significance it deserves.
As a long-standing member of UNIMA (since 2009), I wish to express my concern about the repeated use of unfounded accusations to silence artists in Iran.
We have witnessed how cultural figures such as Jafar Panahi, Mohammad rasoulof, and Bahram Beyzai were targeted by campaigns aimed not at justice, but at restricting their voices and limiting their professional paths. Today, similar tactics are being used against Pouria Nouri, with allegations that exist only in social media and lack any legal basis.
These practices reflect a broader strategy of suppressing independent artistic expression. It is crucial for the international community to remain aware of such pressures and to defend the freedom and credibility of artists against unfounded attacks.