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Willy Billy 2013

A video shot at La Ferme du Buisson in Noisiel with Christophe Marand and Alan Fairbairn. The video starts with Alan painting the face of the American clown Emmett Kelly character on Christophe, and Christophe that of the 19th-century British clown Billy Hayden on Alan. These two historical clown figures were chosen for the subversive nature of their performances, as well as their iconic nature. Billy Hayden is often described as the first "modern" clown, and Emmett Kelly's character became successful for its poignant portrayal of a melancholic hobo character during the Great Depression. It ends with an improvised dialogue of hands and pigment, face and landscape, grimace and pantomime.