Paola Caramanna

How Many Twins Have The Same Skin?

"How Many Twins Have the Same Skin?" is a stop-motion puppet performance inspired by the Sicilian Opera dei Pupi and Mexican Folkloric Dance, that aims to dissect the disjunction that comes with quantifying a singular identity, and instead reframes identity as a fluid, animate and ever-changing aspect of ourselves that flourishes when it's not contained.

“"How Many Twins Have the Same Skin?" is a stop-motion puppet performance inspired by the Sicilian Opera dei Pupi and Mexican Folkloric Dance, that dissects the disjunction that comes with quantifying a singular identity, and instead reframes identity as a fluid, animate and ever-changing aspect of ourselves that flourishes when it's not contained. The film features two puppets that are identical in form but differ stylistically, displaying aspects from either Mexican or Italian culture. The setting and presentation of the two puppets are inspired by Sicilian Opera Dei Pupi, and the movements and rhythms are inspired by Mexican Folkloric dance. Both are papier-mache built-up puppets, inspired by traditional piñata making, made with newspapers in Spanish and Italian. They have a layer of tissue paper that is hand-painted, referencing and abstracting patterns found in Mexican and Italian costume movement, decorations and architecture, respectively. The audio of the film is a recorded performance of my sister doing Mexican Folkloric dance with traditional shoes that is mixed to reflect the emotional progression in the film. As the film continues, the arbitrary lines separating these two identities begin to blur and culminate in an explosive metamorphosis into a single, fluid being. ”