La Fabrique des Monstres

The Monster Factory, Die Monsterfabrik

2020-2021

La Fabrique des Monstres is a research on the costumes of monsters from Swiss folklore which takes the form of an animated film and a book.

In the Lötschental valley in the canton of Valais, there is a tradition whereby every year men dress up in furry costumes with grimacing mask to frighten those who would have the misfortune to cross their path. This celebration has undergone many changes over the years, leaving the natives struggling between their desire to follow this tradition as it was in its origin against their will to innovate and modernize it. La Fabrique des Monstres, À la recherche des Tschäggättä explores this tension through the creation of masks and costumes, which have served to oppress women for generations. The challenge of this research is to examine how the claim by women of Lötschental to learn the technique of woodcarving is a political act.