AFTER CIRCUS (Viveka Melki, Canada). 78 minutes. Rating: NN
The idea of what happens to circus performers after they step off their career on the high wires is rich with potential, but director Viveka Melki doesn’t know what to do with it.
Sarasota, Florida, is home to a tightly knit community of retired and aging big top performers, including aerialist Dolly Jacobs, now in her 50s and diabetic, who teaches and still occasionally performs in Circus Sarasota with another resident, the muscle-bound Rafael Palacios.
Despite the occasional delight, like seeing a 93-year-old woman stretch her leg above her head, the film is rambling and shapeless. There’s not enough footage of the artists in their prime to provide context, and it all ends in a lacklustre performance sequence.
Apr 29, 9:15 pm, TIFF 3 May 1, 1:15 pm, Scotiabank 3 May 7, 1 pm, Scotiabank 13
