Lili

She arrives in a provincial town hoping to locate an old friend of her late father, only to learn that the friend has died. The disappointment leaves her feeling alone and ready to seek work wherever she can. This setback sets the stage for her unexpected road into the carnival world.

A local shopkeeper offers Lili a job but tries to take advantage of her. Marcus the Magnificent intervenes with charm and authority, saving her from the man’s schemes. Lili is immediately drawn to him and follows him toward the carnival.

On learning Lili is only 16, Marcus uses his influence to help her secure a job as a waitress at the carnival. He brings her into the fold by arranging the position. Lili follows him to the carnival, dazzled by his world.

On her first night, Lili spends her time watching the magic act instead of waiting tables and is dismissed. The firing underscores how the carnival values performance over ordinary work. She leaves the dining area humiliated and adrift.

When Lili seeks guidance, Marcus coldly tells her to go back to where she came from, shattering her dreams. His blunt dismissal highlights the transactional nature of his world. She drifts toward homelessness and despair in the carnival’s shadow.

Paul, the carnival puppeteer, begins watching her from the wings and starts talking through his puppets. The puppets draw Lili into his private world, foreshadowing a complicating bond. Her vulnerability makes her an ideal audience for his performance.

Paul and his partner Jacquot offer Lili a place in the act, recognizing her natural way with the puppets. She accepts and soon becomes a key part of the performance. Her interaction with the puppets becomes central to the show’s appeal.

Paul reveals his bitterness over a World War II injury and his failed career as a dancer. He rarely shows real warmth, instead expressing his feelings through the puppets. Lili senses the danger and complexity behind his quiet mood.

Two impresarios from Paris visit, recognizing Paul as the former dancer and praising the act with Lili and the puppets. They offer a possible high-profile opportunity, raising the stakes for everyone involved. Jacquot warns Paul that they’ll need to decide whether to pursue it.

Marcus accepts a casino engagement and leaves the carnival, while Rosalie publicly proclaims that she is his wife. Lili is heartbroken and later invites Marcus to her trailer, where his lecherous plans are interrupted by Paul. When Lili finds Marcus’s wedding ring, Paul slaps her in a bitter confrontation.

Motivated by Marcus’s betrayal and the agents’ offer she has heard about, Lili resolves to leave the carnival. On the way out, Carrot Top and Reynardo urge her to take them with her, signaling that she has become their anchor.

As she is about to leave, Carrot Top and Reynardo’s voices fade, and Lili pulls back the curtain to reveal Paul behind the puppets. He hints at the agents’ offer and tries to define their relationship through his puppets. The moment exposes the power dynamics at the heart of the act.

Lili questions the chasm between Paul’s persona and his true self, challenging him on what he is when the show is off. Paul claims that he is the puppets, a creature of many facets and flaws. He insists this is business, a line she refuses to accept.

Walking out of town, Lili imagines the puppets joining her as life-sized companions. The puppets gradually turn into Paul, revealing the heavy cost of the show’s world. She begins to understand the connection she has with him.

Reality returns as Lili dashes back to the carnival and reunites with Paul, running into his arms. They kiss passionately, and the puppets applaud as the screen closes on their alliance. The final image suggests a union between Lili and Paul beyond the stage.