The Berlin Reunion

Earlier this week, 1.5 million people filled the streets of Berlin, Germany to watch a several-day performance by France's Royal de Luxe street theatre company titled "The Berlin Reunion". Part of the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Reunion show featured two massive marionettes, the Big Giant, a deep-sea diver, and his niece, the Little Giantess. The storyline of the performance has the two separated by a wall, thrown up by "land and sea monsters". The Big Giant has just returned from a long and difficult - but successful - expedition to destroy the wall, and now the two are walking the streets of Berlin, seeking each other after many years apart. I'll let the photos below tell the rest of the story. (35 photos total)

A police boat makes its way past the "Big Giant" of the French theatre company Royal de Luxe, who is lifted out of the water in Berlin on October 3, 2009. Part of an open-air theatre spectacle with two marionettes named Little Giantess and Big Giant seeking each other out, visiting various historical sites in the Berlin, as part of celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary of the falling of the Berlin wall. (JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP/Getty Images)


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The Little Giantess of the French theatre company Royal de Luxe sleeps for the night at the Lustgarten next to the cathedral in Berlin on October 2, 2009 on the first day of the giant's appearance in the German capital. (PHILIPP GUELLAND/AFP/Getty Images) #


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The Little Giantess has a shower in front of Berlin's City hall ("Rotes Rathaus") on October 2, 2009, the first day of the giant's appearance in the German capital.(DAVID GANNON/AFP/Getty Images) #


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The feet of the Little Giantess can be seen in front of the Rotes Rathaus on October 2, 2009. (DAVID GANNON/AFP/Getty Images) #


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The Little Giantess takes her first steps in front of the Rotes Rathaus on October 2, 2009. (DAVID GANNON/AFP/Getty Images) #


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Crowds of spectators surround the Little Giantess at Bebelplatz in Berlin on October 2, 2009. (PHILIPP GUELLAND/AFP/Getty Images) #


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A girl briefly rides on the arm of the Little Giantess in Berlin on Friday, Oct. 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Maya Hitij) #


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Members of the street theater group Royal De Luxe ("Lilliputians") lift the 9.5 meter tall Big Giant out of the river Spree in Berlin, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Maya Hitij) #


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Water sheds from the feet of the Big Giant as he is lifted from the water in Berlin on October 3, 2009. (AXEL SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images) #


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The Big Giant begins his search through Berlin for his niece, the Little Giantess during a street theatre performance on October 3, 2009. (REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz) #


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The Big Giant is moved across a bridge during a street theatre performance in Berlin, October 4, 2009. (REUTERS/Thomas Peter) #


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The Little Giantess, (and one of her operators) walks through Berlin, seeking her Uncle, the Big Giant, on October 2, 2009 in Berlin, Germany. (Carsten Koall/Getty Images) #


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The Little Giantess makes her way down Berlin's Friedrichstrasse on October 2, 2009. (DAVID GANNON/AFP/Getty Images) #


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The Big Giant makes his way past the Reichstag (Germany's pariamentary building) in Berlin on October 3, 2009. (AXEL SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images) #


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The Little Giantess arrives in front of Berlin's City hall with the TV tower in background on October 2, 2009. (PHILIPP GUELLAND/AFP/Getty Images) #


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Members of the street theater group Royal De Luxe move the Little Giantess, now dressed in a yellow slicker, in front of the Rote Rathaus in Berlin, Friday, Oct. 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Maya Hitij) #


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The Little Giantess rides in a boat in front of Berlin's TV tower on October 2, 2009. (DAVID GANNON/AFP/Getty Images) #


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The Big Giant makes his way the "Strasse des 17 Juni" in Berlin on October 3, 2009. (JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP/Getty Images) #


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The boots of Big Giant are seen in Berlin on October 4, 2009. (DAVID GANNON/AFP/Getty Images) #


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The Big Giant of the French theatre company "Royal de Luxe" makes his way further down the "Strasse des 17 Juni" in Berlin on October 3, 2009. (JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP/Getty Images) #


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The Little Giantess in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Maya Hitij) #


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Lilliputians remove the helmet of the Big Giant in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate on October 3, 2009. (JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP/Getty Images) #


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The Big Giant and his niece, the Little Giantess share an embrace as they are reunited once again, in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate on October 3, 2009. (AXEL SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images) #


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The Big Giant and the Little Giantess, newly reunited, sleep in each others' arms in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Maya Hitij) #


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The Big Giant wakes in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on October 4, 2009. (AXEL SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images) #


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The Little Giantess and the Big Giant make their way through Berlin toward a waiting boat on October 4, 2009. (BERTHOLD STADLER/AFP/Getty Images) #


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Little Giantess walks through Berlin, Germany on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) #


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The Big Giant is walked by performers on October 3, 2009 in Berlin, Germany. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images) #


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The Little Giantess looks up at papers floating down to the crowd, representing the tens of thousands of letters intercepted by East Germany's Stasi secret police, now symbolically returned to the people, on October 4, 2009. (BERTHOLD STADLER/AFP/Getty Images) #


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The foot of Big Giant is maneuvered by Lilliputians during the fourth day of a street theatre in Berlin, October 4, 2009. (REUTERS/Thomas Peter) #


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The Little Giantess makes her way past the Reichstag in Berlin on October 4, 2009. (BERTHOLD STADLER/AFP/Getty Images) #


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The Big Giant and the Little Giantess are lifted into a boat for their departure during the fourth day of a street theatre in Berlin, October 4, 2009. (REUTERS/Thomas Peter) #


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Lilliputians from the Royal de Luxe theatre company attend to the Big Giant and Little Giantess as they prepare to leave Berlin on a boat on October 4, 2009. (DAVID GANNON/AFP/Getty Images) #


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Little Giantess rests on her uncle, the Big Giant as they leave Berlin on October 4, 2009. (BERTHOLD STADLER/AFP/Getty Images) #


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A reunited but exhausted Big Giant and the Little Giantess rest as they are depart Berlin on a boat on October 4, 2009. (DAVID GANNON/AFP/Getty Images) #