Films from Past Years

Documentary Feature | Vermont Films | 2011 | 81 min

Director Signe Taylor

This feature documentary examines the lives of a group of 12-to-18 year olds performing in Circus Smirkus, the only traveling youth circus in the United States. It follows four teens—Maddy, Joy, Josh, and Thula—through the drama of auditions, the rigor of rehearsals under the coaching of veterans from Ringling, Big Apple, and Cirque du Soleil, and the exhilaration and exhaustion of a 70-performance tour through 5 states. Knowing that Circus Smirkus is steps away from financial ruin, and that its future rests on their shoulders, the kids push to their limits, since it’s one of the few places where they feel at home.