FILM PRODUCTION

CIRCUS FANTASTICUS

When the deafening rattle of war dies away, Stevo, scared, running around the field where traces of warfare can be seen and where his house, badly damaged, stands. He is left alone with his daughter and son, as his wife has been hit by one of the grenades. When it seems that the worst is over, a terrible rumble can be heard from a distance, drawing closer to the house.

Director’s note

When I was born in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia it seemed that the dark forces of evil had been defeated during the Second World War and we were going to live in brotherhood, unity and peace till the end of our days. What is left from all this are beautiful childhood memories. When we think about how humanity has lived for the past few thousand years, we don’t get impression that it lived in peace which was occasionally broken by wars. It lived in war with occasional cease fires. To see whether that this is still the case, we only need to switch on the television. War changes its form, but that does not mean that it is not the integral part of human nature and as such a part of the environment in which we live. I would be an illusion to think that this fact will change considerably in the next few centuries. Circus Fantasticus is a film which tackles the question of how to survive in such an environment. It is set in a war-zone which is not linked to any space or time. It could be happening a hundred years ago or three thousand years from now. People don't speak in this film, but that also does not mean that it's a silent film. Words are meaningless in war. If they had any power, there would be no wars. Circus Fantasticus is a film of feelings, atmosphere, sensibility, surreality. A film which is about that cannot be expressed with words.

Production: Staragara, Fastnet Films
Co-Production: Cine Works, RTV Slovenija, The Chimney Pot, Film I Väst
Co-Funding: Filmski sklad RS/Slovenian Film Fund, FS Viba Film, Irish Film Board, Eurimages, Finnish Film Foundation, Media Programme, YLE

Technical Info:
feature
Dolby Digital SRD
35 mm, cinemascope
colour

Crew
Writter and director: JANEZ BURGER
director of photography: DIVIŠ MAREK
editing: MILOŠ KALUSEK
sound: ROBERT FLANAGAN, DANIEL BIRCH
composer: DRAGO IVANUŠA
production design: VASJA KOKALJ
costume design: ALAN HRANITELJ
make-up: ALENKA NAHTIGAL

co-producers: PETRI ROSSI, FREDRIK ZANDER, TOMAS ESKILSSON
producers: JOŽKO RUTAR, PETRA BAŠIN, MORGAN BUSHE

cast: LEON LUČEV, PAULIINA RÄSÄNEN, RAVIL SULTANOV, RENE BAZINET, DANIEL ROVAI, MARJUTA SLAMIČ, LUNA MIJOVIĆ

Janez Burger

Born in 1965 in Kranj. Graduated in film and TV direction from the FAMU Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, Czech Republic. Director, screenwriter and producer. His films recived more than 40 Slovenian and international awards.

Filmography
2010 CIRCUS FANTASTICUS, feature
2007 SONJA/SONIA, medium-length film
2007 NA SONČNI STRANI ALP/ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF ALPS, short film
2004 RUŠEVINE/RUINS, feature
1999 V LERU/IDLE RUNNING, feature

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