Circusboy (Zirkuskind) by German film directors Julia Lemke and Anna Koch will celebrate its world premiere in the competition program of the Berlinale Generation section / Kplus at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival taking place February 13-23, 2025.
The documentary portrait follows little Santino, a circus child whose family has been running a circus, Circus Arena, for almost 200 years. Santino has a very special relationship with his great-grandfather who encourages him follow his own path.
Circusboy is the first documentary film produced as part of the “Der Besondere Kinderfilm (Special Children’s Film)” initiative. A documentary road movie for children and their families about the life of a circus family between realism and magic. It is the second collaboration between the directors and the producer Katharina Bergfeld and production company Flare Film.
Eleven-year-old Santino is a child of the circus. His circus travels across the country with animals and caravans—today here, gone tomorrow. For him, home is not a place, but his family. This family includes not only his parents, Angie and Gitano, and his brother Giordano, but also countless uncles, aunts, cousins, and especially his eighty-year-old great-grandfather Ehe. Grandpa Ehe is one of the last great circus directors in Europe and tells Santino wild stories from his long life in the circus arena: tales of the magnificent elephant bull Sahib, his own first steps as a clown, and the feeling of freedom that makes enduring all hardships worth it. On Santino‘s eleventh birthday, Ehe asks his grandson what he wants to perform in the circus ring one day, as Santino, too, must contribute to their community. But how can he know what his talent might be?
Circusboy tells the story of Europe‘s last nomads – growing up among an extended family and animals, living a life without safety nets, as free as a bird. A documentary road movie with animations about the power of belonging and community.
When asked, why did you make this film – what was the initial idea?, the directors in a statement said, “As children, we came into contact with circus children through school and found their lives fascinating even then. When a small family circus near us was stranded during the pandemic, we remembered it and won- dered how these children would grow up. Because apart from the stereotypes from books and films, we actually knew nothing about it. During our research, we came across a complex world with a long tradition, cultural identities and even its own language. A community that has a lot of faith in children and lets them grow up freely. But which also isolates itself from external influences. With Circusboy we wanted to make a film that would give everyone a look behind the scenes. That would build on the magical attraction of the circus world and complement it with a realistic picture.”
Watch the first trailer for Circusboy.
Directors Anna Koch & Julia Lemke graduated from the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (DFFB) in 2016 with their documentary Schultersieg, a coming-of-age drama set in the professional female wrestling scene in East Germany, which won several awards. Since then, Anna and Julia have worked together as the directing duo Badabum. Their debut film Glitzer & Staub, also produced by Flare Film, premiered at the Max Ophüls Film Festival in January 2020 and was shown at many international festivals. After that, Circusboy was created.