Selton Mello | Brazil | 2011 | 88’ | In Portuguese | English subtitles
Benjamin and his father Valdemar both work as clowns in a circus which travels through the countryside of Minas Gerais in south-western Brazil. Day in, day out they put on an act as Puro Sangue and Pangare and make people laugh. But Benjamin is filled with doubt: can he really still make people laugh and does he want to spend his life this way? It bothers him that he knows so little of ‘real’ life, he doesn’t even have an ID or a social security number. He decides to leave the circus and follow a different path to discover who he really is and what he wants out of life. What he does know for sure is that he would love to have a fixed address and find the ideal woman. Realizing these dreams turns out to be quite a challenge... Meanwhile, things are not going very well for the circus which was hit by a storm.
With this endearing and at times hilarious film Mello pays tribute to the circus, a virtually lost form of folk culture in Brazil too, while also telling a story about human relationships and dealing with setbacks. The role of Benjamin is played by Mello himself.
Screenings:
SAT 11 AUG - 21:45 | Vondelpark Openluchttheater
FRI 17 AUG - 21:30 | Marie Heinekenplein
SAT 18 AUG - 19:00 | Rialto 
