Presented by Circus Center of San Francisco

Directed by Kelly J Richardson

In an abandoned parking lot in a Rio de Janeiro ghetto sits a circus tent—an incongruous sight, but no more unusual than its motley crew of young performers, searching for a life apart from the drug-related violence around them. As chronicled by first-time feature filmmaker Kelly J Richardson, putting on a show takes rigor and resourcefulness in their impoverished community, and even this modest production of acrobats and contortionists isn’t free of injuries and ego clashes. But the big top is their oasis, and the human drama of hope and ambition the greatest show on earth.

Film Note Writer: Sterling Hedgpeth