
30 Nov 2013

A Farra do Circo
This documentary highlights the evolution of Brazil's Circo Voador venue from homespun artists' performance space to national cultural institution.
Once a year, people from different marginalized communities meet together in the woods to delve into the art of circus and have this discipline become a common way to express themselves, away from the city.
30 Nov 2013
This documentary highlights the evolution of Brazil's Circo Voador venue from homespun artists' performance space to national cultural institution.
10 Feb 2007
Vienna’s Prater is an amusement park and a desire machine. No mechanical invention, no novel idea or sensational innovation could escape incorporation into the Prater. The diverse story-telling in Ulrike Ottinger’s film “Prater” transforms this place of sensations into a modern cinema of attractions. The Prater’s history from the beginning to the present is told by its protagonists and those who have documented it, including contemporary cinematic images of the Prater, interviews with carnies, commentary by Austrians and visitors from abroad, film quotes, and photographic and written documentary materials. The meaning of the Prater, its status as a place of technological innovation, and its role as a cultural medium are reflected in texts by Elfriede Jelinek, Josef von Sternberg, Erich Kästner and Elias Canetti, as well as in music devoted to this amusement venue throughout the course of its history.
24 Jul 2019
The feature-length documentary Fakir portrays the success of fakirism in Brazil, Latin America and France. This circus art origin show is presented and analyzed through archives that reveals the success of these presentations with their pain resistance championships and the great public presence, including politicians and government officials. Fakir spans current footage from contemporary artists who keep this art alive in performances and shows.
01 Jul 2013
Cirque du Soleil presents The Mystery of Mystère, a captivating documentary that explores how arts and science merge together using Mystère, the critically acclaimed Las Vegas show at Treasure Island, as the outlet for this message.
03 Oct 1997
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.
13 Jan 1928
Footage from the premiere of Charlie Chaplin's 1928 film 'The Circus'.
02 Nov 2004
In the magical world of La Nouba, dreams become reality and talent turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. La Nouba is, literally, a waking dream come true – clowns, ballerinas, trapeze artists, an incredible BMX bicycle act – and much more.
22 Dec 2023
F, an 18-year-old boy, immerses himself in the world of the Drag Queen where he begins to build his identity despite family and social mandates, which impose on him to be afraid and ashamed of being who he is.
13 Nov 2022
As Cirque du Soleil reboots its flagship production, O, more than a year after an abrupt shutdown, performers and crew members face uncertainty as they work to return to their world-class standards in time for the (re)opening night in Las Vegas. With unfettered access, filmmaker Dawn Porter captures the dramatic journey of the world's most famous circus act on its way back from the brink.
12 Nov 2022
Every summer, a horde of professional Santas, Mrs. Clauses, and elves descend on a campsite in the New Hampshire woods to learn the tricks of their trade. But this year is different. The organizers, members of the one-hundred strong New England Santa Society, have decided to tackle a complicated and historic problem – the lack of diversity in the Santa industry. They enlist a Black Santa, a Santa with a disability, and a transgender Santa, each with their own surprising Santa origin story.
26 Dec 1999
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.
19 Nov 2001
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.
01 Jan 1997
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.
01 Sep 2022
Explores the world of body image through the eyes of children and covers topics including diversity, social media, photoshopping, the influence of media and positive role models.
26 Apr 2018
The documentary “Pagliacci” celebrates – in a poetic way – what it means to be a clown. The film addresses philosophical and symbolic questions about man’s need to laugh at himself. In a sensorial and emotional mix, the film starts from what is most human and true: laughter.
10 Apr 2018
A story of the world's first female tiger trainer who claimed her love for her tigers was so great she wanted to die in the ring. Raised in poverty in Kentucky, Mabel Stark joined the circus in 1911 and became the first woman to train tigers, earning the center ring despite being told that women couldn't work the big cats. In a 57-year career, she headlined shows with Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey, survived multiple maulings and marriages, starred in Hollywood movies, and managed up to 20 cats by forming intimate relationships with each, rather than using the whip. Her life ended tragically just outside of Jungleland in Thousand Oaks, CA, and her legacy and the golden era of the American circus is recounted by former animal trailers, performers and historian Janet Davis, with Mabel's voice, from her memoir "Hold That Tiger", provided by Oscar ®-winner Melissa Leo.
04 Sep 2014
The comedian Timoteo is the leader of a cross-dresser circus that has toured through Chile for forty years. Today his advanced age and health are reason for concern regarding the continuity of the show.
26 Nov 2010
Since 1993, Cirque du Soleil has produced seven original, permanent shows in Las Vegas, creating a garden of delights that has transformed the very nature of entertainment in this desert oasis. Cirque du Soleil: Flowers in the Desert presents mesmerizing performances, recorded in High Definition, of Mystère™, "O™", KÀ™, LOVE™, and their latest production, Viva ELVIS™, as well as sneak peeks of Zumanity™ and CRISS ANGEL® Believe™. Now the artistic universe of Cirque du Soleil is captured in a two-hour performance special, Cirque du Soleil: Flowers in the Desert, an extraordinary entertainment experience that is part of special programming premiering on PBS, check your local station for dates and times.
01 Jan 1989
In 1988, the Cirque du Soleil toured the United States and set up its big top in New York City - a grand three-ring circus in itself! - garnering rave reviews. Behind the scenes, artists working in the fledgling Quebec circus talk about what it means to them to be a part of this success, and also the price they pay for sharing the American Dream.
01 Nov 2025
Race/America follows Robb Holland, one of the few Black professional race car drivers in the United States, as he fights for the GT America Championship behind the wheel of a Ford Mustang. After decades of breaking barriers in a sport known for its lack of diversity, Robb builds his own team—Rotek Racing—bringing together a dynamic, multicultural crew that reflects the change he wants to see in motorsports. This high-octane documentary takes you beyond the track and into the heart of a season-long battle, offering unprecedented access to one of the most diverse teams in the paddock. Race/America is a story of speed, grit, and the drive to make history.