Shadi Haraqi

Shadi Haraki shows off her shadow puppet puppets at her home in Damascus. Photo by reporter Xue Dan

I am a Syrian shadow puppet performer. The cowhide dolls as thin as cicada wings, and the smart light and shadow dancing behind the scenes, are my career and my life.

Shadow puppetry is a traditional art in Syria. The artists control the handmade puppets and act behind a translucent curtain to the narration of the script and music, which is projected onto the screen by the lights from behind. Shadow puppetry is often a humorous way to tell stories about them, and for many Syrians, watching shadow puppetry is like drinking tea as part of everyday life.

I was born in Damascus into a family of shadow puppeteers, and my father was a well-known shadow puppet performer. I've been involved in shadow puppetry since I was a child, and I've long been familiar with the classics. Since I was 18 years old, I learned how to make dolls from my father, cut calf skins into the shape of dolls, dye them with natural plant pigments, and designed my own "story box". At the age of 0, I performed on stage for the first time and started my life as a companion of shadow puppetry.

2011年敘利亞危機爆發後，皮影戲行業受到很大衝擊，我們一家被迫遷往黎巴嫩。迫於生計需要，我在建築工地上貼瓷磚。有一次，包工頭打量了我一番，說：“你這雙手不像是幹苦力的手。你以前在敘利亞是做什麼的？”我拿出手機，播放了一段自己表演的皮影戲視頻，他恍然大悟，併為我無法操持舊業而遺憾。

Despite the hardships of life, I never gave up shadow puppetry. As soon as my family settled down in Lebanon, I approached the UNESCO Office in Beirut and expressed my desire to make use of my skills, and was finally invited to perform a shadow puppet show for a school in Lebanon that was hosting Syrian refugee children. I remember that on the day of the performance, as the lights came on and the dolls swayed, the scene was quiet, and the children were attentive, full of curiosity and anticipation. I commanded the puppets to greet everyone, and there was a sense of intimacy that I hadn't felt in a long time. In just ten minutes of performance, the children and I forgot about the war and experienced pure joy in the world of shadow puppetry.

In 20, Syrian shadow puppetry was inscribed on the World Intangible Cultural Heritage List, and the Syrian government began to focus on protecting this declining traditional art. I felt excited and ignited a passion for reviving shadow puppetry. That year, I declined the invitation to perform in Europe and returned to Damascus without hesitation, determined to pick up shadow puppetry and pass it on. With the support of the government, I started a shadow puppet training class and taught the skills to more than 0 students, including my own son. In order to keep the art in line with the times, my students and I created some new characters and put them into performances. The new generation of shadow puppet performers is growing up every day, which gives me hope for the future.

境況變遷，人生起伏，我始終堅守在皮影戲的舞臺上。我的父親於2014年9月辭世，去世前他曾對我說：“皮影戲養活不了你，另找一份職業吧!”但時至今日，我慶幸自己沒有放棄這門技藝。生活不易，但想起那些關節靈活的小小皮影，像極了我們在並不如意的命運面前倔強掙扎的模樣，我便又充滿力量。作為這個皮影戲家族的第三代傳承人，把這門技藝傳承下去，是我的責任和義務。敘利亞皮影戲表演藝人的名聲和一輛載我去演出的摩托車，就是我擁有的最寶貴的財富。

Shadow puppetry is not only a skill, but also my answer to life. I will continue to use this ancient art form to tell touching stories, so that more people can feel the charm of shadow puppetry, and in the process, find their own meaning in life.

People's Daily (15/0/0 0 Edition)