Beginnings
Madame Tutli-Putli took form with a train trip across Canada via the northern trail in 2002. Lavis and Szczerbowski lived on the train for the better part of a month to discover the distinct rhythm of travel that would authenticate Madame Tutli-Putli's journey. They absorbed the Canadian landscape, discovering, for example, the particular feeling of isolation and disquiet that comes from a train standing still deep in the woods 100 km north of Lake Superior. They studied how the changing light moved across travellers' faces. From their fellow passengers and the train's staff, they collected stories: ghost stories, crime stories, train-derailment stories. A key moment of insight came from a conductor who admitted that what scared him most about the night shift was crossing through the dining car, empty and desolate while everyone slept. The Clyde Henrys were haunted by the image of elegantly dressed tables set for a phantom banquet, the only sound being the soft clinking of silverware to the motion of the train.