Come join Asia's biggest Pantomime Celebration at the Chuncheon International Mime Festival

The Chuncheon International Mime Festival, the biggest of its kind in Asia, celebrates its 23rd anniversary in 2011. Under the themes of body, movement and image, it has combined performances with exciting beats and reenacted myths, presenting mute but heart-pounding clamors.

This year, the fest is held from May 22 to 29. Unlike other gigs and shows spatially limited, it takes place across Chuncheon City, including the Udamari Waterside Park and Kids’ Hall, Momzit Theater, Chuncheon Culture and Art Center, Brown 5th Street and Baeckyung Art Center.

The occasion is participated by over 90 local pantomime and performance troupes and 13 of their peers from Australia, Italy, France, Britain, Denmark, Japan, Estonia, Germany, Argentina, United States and Thailand. Anywhere in the city during the period, you can feel the soundless vigor and energy to the full.

Opening show - Ah! Soorajang

A common thread of mythic carnival runs through all of the programs making up this year's festival. The audience, therefore, can relish each of the programs while finding themselves in the framework of a continuing story taking the form of spatial performances.

The opening play titled Ah! Soorajang shows gods of water and fire tackling each other. However, it does not stop at remaining an ordinary pantomime show. The spectators, during the play, are invited to help the god of water, get watered on and drive out the god of fire. They themselves can purify the fire god with the water of their guardian, creating the story on their own and enjoying it.

Climax show - Crazy Friday

During this Crazy Friday show, artists with experimental spirits mingle with art maniacs all night long.

The Crazy Friday of this year revolves around those programs to blur the division of genres and spaces, tearing apart the wall separating the artists and the audience. The Crazy Friday’s exclusive, palpitating shows include: Non Grata’s 72 Hour Non-stop; British Live Art Speed Dating Group STK's Climate Change Project; Silent Disco, an open-air disco club with wireless headsets; Fire Zone and many more.

All-night show - Dokebinanjang

The Dokebinanjang has astonished many people with its far-out programs like Lee Oe-soo’s Muajigyung. With time, it has won over more and more fans and become the killer contents of the entire pantomime festival. The venue, Gosumdochi Island, has risen in popularity along with the performance to make itself into a byword for the show.

Here, the feeling of isolation unique to an island overlaps with various genres of performances to turn you into another art aficionado with the beautiful grass and rivers of the island all around.

According to the mythic translation of the mime festival, the Crazy Friday can be compared to a ritual for the universe and gods and the Dokebinanjang to a fiesta for unity and becoming one. The entertainment will tell the audience the truth that all of them are equal in the show and are not different at all.

Closing show - Ah! Udamari

This closing show was first performed in 2009. If the Ah! Soorajang is a frolic about water, the Ah! Udamari is one about fire. Here, the audience can make their wishes while looking forward to the next year’s show.

A lot more shows and programs are available during the festival period. For further information, www.mimefestival.com Phone : 033-242-0571

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