<p>It takes as long to train to be a puppeteer at the world-famous Salzburg Marionette Theatre as it does to become a doctor.</p>.<p>The puppets and their startlingly lifelike movements take years to master, which is why the Austrian theatre's work has UNESCO World Heritage status.</p>.<p>"It's like playing an instrument. You can't think about which string to pull during the show," said Edouard Funck, a puppeteer and costume designer.</p>.<p>Most puppets have at least 11 strings, so the puppeteer can make them "kiss each other, hug each other, hit each other, (or) whatever we want."</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sunday-herald/sunday-herald-art-culture/the-human-condition-through-art-1196847.html" target="_blank">The human condition through art</a></strong></p>.<p>Some complicated puppets have dozens of strings, requiring up to five people to operate them, said the 34-year-old French-born performer.</p>.<p>Their movements are so subtle that audiences sometimes believe a puppet has "moved her lips", said Funck, when it's just "the illusion that is created on stage".</p>.<p>The theatre's founder, Austrian sculptor Anton Aicher, invented a special control bar to manipulate the puppets a century ago.</p>.<p>"Because the control bar is so small, we can make the puppets interact closely," Funck said.</p>.<p>The puppeteers make the puppets themselves, spending their mornings designing, carving and dressing them before returning later to perform.</p>.<p>Despite the lengthy apprenticeship, the theatre has no problem finding recruits, said Funck, who dreamed of being a puppeteer as a child.</p>.<p>Ilse Laubbichler, 79, who has been coming to the theatre since her own childhood, took her four grandchildren to see "Snow White" there for the first time.</p>.<p>"I love the characters, the movement of the puppets -- this is true artistry," she said.</p>
<p>It takes as long to train to be a puppeteer at the world-famous Salzburg Marionette Theatre as it does to become a doctor.</p>.<p>The puppets and their startlingly lifelike movements take years to master, which is why the Austrian theatre's work has UNESCO World Heritage status.</p>.<p>"It's like playing an instrument. You can't think about which string to pull during the show," said Edouard Funck, a puppeteer and costume designer.</p>.<p>Most puppets have at least 11 strings, so the puppeteer can make them "kiss each other, hug each other, hit each other, (or) whatever we want."</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sunday-herald/sunday-herald-art-culture/the-human-condition-through-art-1196847.html" target="_blank">The human condition through art</a></strong></p>.<p>Some complicated puppets have dozens of strings, requiring up to five people to operate them, said the 34-year-old French-born performer.</p>.<p>Their movements are so subtle that audiences sometimes believe a puppet has "moved her lips", said Funck, when it's just "the illusion that is created on stage".</p>.<p>The theatre's founder, Austrian sculptor Anton Aicher, invented a special control bar to manipulate the puppets a century ago.</p>.<p>"Because the control bar is so small, we can make the puppets interact closely," Funck said.</p>.<p>The puppeteers make the puppets themselves, spending their mornings designing, carving and dressing them before returning later to perform.</p>.<p>Despite the lengthy apprenticeship, the theatre has no problem finding recruits, said Funck, who dreamed of being a puppeteer as a child.</p>.<p>Ilse Laubbichler, 79, who has been coming to the theatre since her own childhood, took her four grandchildren to see "Snow White" there for the first time.</p>.<p>"I love the characters, the movement of the puppets -- this is true artistry," she said.</p>