THE GREAT MYSTICAL CIRCUS

The movie tells the story of 5 generations of the same family-owned circus. From the inauguration of The Great Mystical Circus in 1910 up to present day, viewers will accompany, with the help of Celaví, the master of ceremonies who never grows old, the adventures and loves of the Knieps family, from their prime through to their decadency, up until the surprise ending. A film in which reality and fantasy come together in a mystical universe.

A native of the Northeast, Carlos Diegues studied law in Rio de Janeiro, whilst also running film clubs. He became a film critic and directed short films imbued with social realism. A pioneer of Cinéma Novo, in particular with Glauber Rocha, he sought to imprint Brazilian filmmaking on the national consciousness. His first feature films Ganga Zumba and The Big City, spoke of his dream of a fairer world. He then went on to direct Joanna Francesca with Jeanne Moreau and Xica da Silva which ushered in a period of great popularity for Brazilian cinema, reinforced by the success of Summer Showers an Official Selection at Cannes, as were Bye Bye Brasil, Quilombo and Subway to the Stars. His exploration of popular culture continued with Orfeu. In 2006, he won the Best Film Award at the Montreal Festival, with The Greatest Love of All.