Who's pulling the strings?
The Little Man lives happily in a forest village with his girl Majolenka and his friends. In the forest bar, they treat everyone who visits them with homemade specialties such as carrot cake, fried catkins or grilled moss. In his spare time, he plays with Captain Beefheart and other friends in the band and prepares for a big concert. And he and Majolenka would like to get married...
But something very strange starts happening in the forest. The peaceful coexistence of the Little Man and his friends is disturbed by news of mysterious evil creatures - deerers. The whole forest is talking about them, the newspapers are full of news about their rampage and the forest inhabitants are getting scared. And no wonder, such a deerer is said to chew through a tree like a toothpick! Deerers are also credited with lost or destroyed items, and after dark the forest is full of mysterious red lights. Those must be their glowing eyes!
The mysterious Dr Zettek presents himself as the only saviour from danger. He doesn't look much like a doctor, dressed in a military uniform with the Z symbol. He brings with him robots that are supposed to help, but are more likely to spread fear. The ubiquitous televisions that Zettek hands out for free are full of bad news.
The friendly atmosphere of the forest is gone, the villagers are gradually overcome by fear and panic. The forest bar is empty, and the Little Man himself begins to worry. Fortunately, he must overcome his fears, find out who is pulling the strings, and set out on a journey to save his Majolenka, his friends, and indeed his home.
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The film by director Radek Beran is a loose sequel to 2016's The Little Man and is a modern variation on the classic puppet films that made Czech cinema famous around the world. Thanks to the kindness of the film's creators and producer, the Chrudim Puppetry Museum has acquired almost the complete set of the film, including puppets and sets for each scene, for its collection. The exhibition, subtitled "Who's pulling the strings?", not only wants to introduce visitors to its magical world, but also works actively with the themes underlying the film's storyline, such as the dangers of media manipulation or the spread of fake news and misinformation.