Circus is a visually and emotionally stimulating short film that features existential themes, the connection of mankind to the cosmos, the theory of afterlife and the acceptance of the absurdity of human existence.
The film shows a poignant collection of narratives that leaves interpretation open to the audience. Sandy dunes in the first and last scene are a symbol of the sands of time and the infinity of the universe referenced in the poem “Auguries of Innocence” by William Blake. Showing that human existence is a tiny in comparison to the universe, and life is just a blink of an eye in time.
Circus, is a film project that has five unusual characters and each their own individual storyline yet are still connected to each other indirectly. One thing they have in common is they are all trying to escape from something. Circuses are associated with escaping lives and running away as an outcast. Performers gather together to put on a show, each performer is unique and usually has an unpleasant history that drives them to leave home and their family to join the circus and travel from city to city. But in the end the circus is a community and interplays within itself, showing that we can’t fight the undisputed fact that we are all somehow connected even at a cosmic level.
The film takes examples from modern storytelling using unconventional techniques. Some of the techniques mirror nouvelle vague film techniques. The nouvelle vague film movement (French New Wave) endeavoured to create film that was unconventional and strange, but in the end of the day they created a whole movement and film paradigm. Just like a circus, made up of broken and crazy people with unique talents, the movement managed to create a tangible outcome.