After Circus

Directed by Viveka Melki

Dolly Jacob grabs hold of two long straps dangling down from the shadows of the big top. She hoists herself up...and begins to fly. From 50 feet below, what the audience can't see are the lines on Dolly's smiling face. Few of us have ever given a second thought as to what happens to these artists 'off the wire' after they've spent their lives entertaining and inspiring us. This film takes a unique look at a tightly drawn community in Sarasota, Florida, one with a deep value system that seems almost out of place today. With humour and warmth, these bigger-than-life characters are determined to support each other through thick and thin, at a time when they need it most: the end of their careers as Circus performers. When the march of time forces them to step out of the ring, After Circus depicts how performers survive without their lifeblood of the glittering spotlight and fervent applause.