El Gran Circo Pobre de Timoteo (Timoteo's Fabulous Ragged Circus) by Lorean A. Giachino Torens, Chile.Screening today (23.02.13) at Capitole 2, 14:00 Buy tickets to this film here Lorena Giachino Torens's documentary captures the remaining vestiges of a colourful and ragged circus that has spent the last 40 years traveling around Chile. The troupe is made up of a group of transvestites who have coalesced around René, the circus owner and irrevocable centre of their marginal community. Full of joy and threaded through with melancholy, documents a wonderful way of life that is approaching its end. Against the backdrop of faded circus materials, tatty caravans and the Chilean mountains, we see the joyous group preparing for shows, eating together and sharing problems – we are introduced to their family through their everyday lives. The ordinariness of life in caravans, putting up tents and rehearsals sits nicely beside the glamour of performance. However, this great motivating factor, this purpose, could soon no longer be available. Times are tough. Less people are coming to see the show – something we are reminded of as discounted prices are posted at the circus and René worriedly completes the accounts. It is understood that times have changed, that 'the audience is less naive', as one member of the circus puts it. It is a reminder that today's society seeks other forms of entertainment, that the time of being entertained by simple things has passed and that people have other necessities to direct their money towards. Yet René is determined to remain authentic and true to his circus, to not become 'bombastic' in any attempt to attract more people. A new tent is purchased, but as René states: 'Lots of light and lots of paint – that's all we need'. It is their bawdy and subversive performances that brings in the people that do come. There is a sad acceptance, a philosophical bravery captured in the documentary. René is well aware that 'everything in this life ends'. René is a hero for those who live on the sides of society, or on stage. His efforts to save this community and way of life in the face of an inevitable end is moving. Before them lies an unknown, far removed from the glamour and passion of performance, the bright lights and make-up and the thrill of the stage. It is acknowledged that 'An old man in a circus just makes a fool of himself', yet ex-circus people end up selling popcorn or magazines – an outcome that is recognised as sad by all. For while these people are accepted in the circus and have an important place within it, they are not as accepted in the outside world – this is seen in the difficulty of obtaining a Catholic priest to perform a service asking for blessings for the circus and a good tour – yet another attempt at prolonging their world. Tatty and ragged, but full of life, Timoteo's Circus presents tender hope in the face of adversity. So too does this documentary – against the bright materials, city and mountain backdrops we see this microcosmic universe play out. And we hope that it lasts a little longer and that René and his fellow artists die in a manner that they would wish – onstage.
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