Circus zonder tent

On her last day of school, Romy’s classmates officially say goodbye to her. She sets off with her brother and parents to an amusement park in France, where they will be performing throughout the summer. They are circus artists, but without a big top—that would be too expensive, Romy explains in the voice-over. In between the daily shows, Romy does homework and practices new acrobatic acts with her family. This is sometimes far from enjoyable. In their spare time, Romy and her brother play in the river, or in the amusement park after it’s closed. Over beautiful slow-motion shots of their performances, Romy reads the letters she sends to her classmates. Wouldn’t it be fun if they were all there with her to play together? This hard-working girl also talks about the pros and cons of her unusual life as a sixth-generation circus artist. She and her brother are sure of what their future holds: when they grow up, they’ll have a huge circus with lots of acrobats, clowns, and animals—and a big top too. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)