Circus World

Back To Africa(en)

An Austrian director followed five successful African music and dance artists with his camera and followed their lives for a year. The artists, from villages in Ghana, Gambia and Congo, were the subjects of Africa! Africa! touring across Europe, but they have unbreakable roots to their homeland and their families. Schmiderer lovingly portrays his heroes, who tell their stories about themselves, their art and what it means to them to be African with captivating honesty. The interviews are interwoven with dance scenes and colourful vignettes set to authentic music.

Figure 3(en)

How do you deal with life's curveballs? FIGURE 3 tells trapeze artist Korri Singh Aulakh's story of being diagnosed with the chronic autoimmune condition Myasthenia Gravis. It's the third installment in FIGURES, a new series of portrait films. Shot on a mix of 16mm film, VHS and digital.

The First Emperor of China(en)

This historical drama tells the story of Qin Shihuang, who unified China's vast territory and declared himself emperor in 221 B.C. During his reign, he introduced sweeping reforms, built a vast network of roads and connected the Great Wall of China. From the grandiose inner sanctum of Emperor Qin's royal palace, to fierce battles with feudal kings, this film re-creates the glory and the terror of the Qin Dynasty, including footage of Qin's life-sized terra cotta army, constructed 2,200 years ago for his tomb.

El circo(es)

Madrid, Spain, 1949. The Circo Americano arrives in the city. While the big top is pitched in a vacant lot, the troupe parades through the grand avenues: the band, a witty impersonator, the Balodys, acrobats, jugglers, acrobatic skaters, clowns and… Buffallo Bill.

Cirque du Soleil: Saltimbanco(en)

From the Italian 'saltare in banco' – which literally means 'to jump on a bench' – Saltimbanco explores the urban experience in all its myriad forms. Between whirlwind and lull, prowess and poetry, it takes spectators on an allegorical and acrobatic journey into the heart and soul of the modern city.

Hatching by Cirque du Soleil(en)

A Documentary on the Creation of OVO, by Cirque du Soleil

Cirque du Soleil: Quidam(en)

A young girl has already seen everything there is to see and her world has lost all meaning. Her anger shatters her world and she finds herself in the universe of QUIDAM, where she is joined by a playful companion, as well as another mysterious character who attempts to seduce her with the marvelous, the unsettling and the terrifying.

Cirque du Soleil: Alegria(en)

Alegría is a mood, a state of mind. The themes of the show, whose name means "jubilation" in Spanish, are many. Power and the handing down of power over time, the evolution from ancient monarchies to modern democracies, old age, youth - it is against this backdrop that the characters of Alegría play out their lives. Kings' fools, minstrels, beggars, old aristocrats and children make up its universe, along with the clowns, who alone are able to resist the passing of time and the social transformations that accompany it.

Le Cri du Caméléon(fr)

J'écris dans l'espace(fr)

The Amateur Circus(en)

Tucked away in northern Indiana, the city of Peru, Indiana is the circus capitol of the world. Thousands of visitors and townspeople come to this town for two weeks to see the annual amateur circus. Performed by only the local kids, fueled with the rich history and culture of the circus in Peru, this show is anything but amateur.

Sedona: The Spirit of Wonder(en)

This spectacular motion picture has been filmed in panoramic high-definition, SuperVue TM. The film rises out of the darkness, enveloping viewers in a breathtaking spectacle of sight and sound. Dramatic aerial footage whisks you across sweeping vistas. The original musical score, which encompasses the spectrum of sound from a lone Indian flute to full orchestral scoring, enhances the imagery. Old West scenery and Native American settings are painstakingly replicated. The part of our heroine, after which the town took its name, is believably portrayed by the founder's actual great grand-daughter. Viewers will travel back eons in time as the earth transformed into this fascinating region.—SuperVue Theater

Rings Around the World(en)

While writing a book on the circus, author John Shawcross reflects upon the great acts he has seen over the years and the mystique of circus people. He recalls the solo trapeze act of La Mara; Tarzan, Sahib, and their elephant; Marco's sword-balancing act; an archery act in which Grey Arrow shoots an apple off the head of Zuni, his wife; the Mascott Sisters' head-to-head balancing act on a high ladder; the juggling of Rudy Cardenas; high bar specialists, the Tongas; Gunther Gebel Williams with his tiger; the flying bar act of the Laribles; Carl Sembach-Krone's trained horses; lion tamer Pablo Noel; the Gaonas and the Four Titos on the trampoline; the Flying Armors on the flying trapeze; Frieda Krone and her elephants; Fredy Knie, Sr., and his Lippizaner; the Francesco Clowns; Lilly Yokoi on her bicycle; Mendez and Seitz on the tightrope; and Pauline Schumann on the trick horse.

The Circus Dynasty(da)

Benny Berdino, the owner of Europe's biggest circus, has a dream. To make sure that his dynasty will carry on, he hopes that his grandson, Patrick Berdino, and the award winning circus artist Merrylu Casselly will marry and one day carry on Circus Arena. With their looks and skills they would be the perfect match. Everything seems to be going according to plan, as Patrick and Merrylu has moved into their own Caravan. But his dream is threatened, because mixing love and business is difficult and the Casselly Family is offered a lucrative contract from the biggest circus in the world, Ringling Brothers, in USA.

Cirque du Soleil: KÀ Extreme(en)

Cirque du Soleil presents KÀ, its new epic tale, an unprecedented theatrical production now playing at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. See what lies behind this theatrical adventure by plunging into KÀ Extreme! The documentary explores the journey of a remarkable production by following the show's evolution from early rehearsals through to its first public performance. KÀ Extreme exposes the unique creative process and demonstrates how a team of creators managed to turn inspiration into reality!

The Showman(en)

A documentary portrait of sideshow impresario Wally Shufflebottom, Jr.

The Circus: Premiere(en)

Footage from the premiere of Charlie Chaplin's 1928 film 'The Circus'.

Colosseum: Rise and Fall(en)

The greatest amphitheatre ever built by the Romans and a monument to blood and brutality. But what were the origins of the Colosseum and the gruesome spectacles performed within? With unique access to new archaeology, Colosseum: Rise and Fall explores the true purpose of the Colosseum and the network of amphitheatres spread throughout the Roman Empire. Visiting sites across Europe and north Africa, exploring finds that reveal both the scope of the games and the secrets of the gladiators, Colosseum: Rise and Fall charts the expansion of Rome and the ultimate decline of one of history’s most barbaric empires, through the most iconic of Roman landmarks, the Colosseum.

The White Caravan(it)

The neon sign ‘Circus’ illuminates the wide street of Naples’ suburbs: four circus families were abandoned by the institutions, and now they’re awaiting the pandemic will disappear, like a magic show. The circus has stopped, but their lives go on.

Fast, Cheap & Out of Control(en)

Errol Morris’s Fast, Cheap & Out of Control interweaves the stories of four men, each driven to create eccentric worlds from their unique obsessions, all of which involve animals. There’s a lion tamer who shares his theories on the mental processes of wild animals; a topiary gardener who has devoted a lifetime to shaping bears and giraffes out of hedges and trees; a man fascinated with hairless mole rats; and an MIT scientist who has designed complex, autonomous robots that can crawl like bugs.