A documentary about two circuses in remote corners of the Canadian Arctic and West Africa that are turning the world on its head.
Acrobats Guillaume Saladin and Yamoussa Bangoura met in Montreal’s acclaimed Cirque Eloize. They hail from distant parts of the globe—Guillaume from an Inuit village called Igloolik in the Canadian Arctic, Yamoussa from the Guinean city of Conakry. Yet they share a common dream, which is to revitalize their struggling communities through the power of performance. Both Igloolik and Conakry are reeling from a legacy of colonialism that has decimated their cultures and caused desperate social problems: Drugs, apathy and suicide in the Arctic, wretched poverty and massive unemployment in Guinea. Their response to the hardships was to found circuses – Guillaume created Artcirq, Yamoussa started Kalabante.
BIG TOP WITHOUT BORDERS is a film of great beauty. It will be told through vérité footage of charismatic characters, and feature riveting circus performances and interviews shot on location. The crowded, colorful markets of Africa will contrast with the frozen, isolated Arctic tundra. Yet the story unfolds amidst great social and political turmoil in both communities. Visiting one another in their respective countries, the performers see how that despite their differences, they are mirror images of one another. Both are reclaiming their heritage through art and tradition. They begin to see themselves as empowered participants rather than victims, determined to build better futures for themselves, their families, and their communities.
BIG TOP WITHOUT BORDERS has important and timely global implications. It shows how the ripple effects of colonialism still resonate across the developing world today, including the tragic consequences of youth suicide, joblessness, and hopelessness. It reflects the profound sense of disorientation resulting from globalization and the lure of mass culture from the “South” for the Inuit, and the “North” for the Africans.
REWARDS
Michele McDonald Photography
Children in Cape Dorset
Flight to the Arctic
Inuit Child
Resolute Bay
Sara Gray photography: http://www.saragray.com/
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Oct 19, 2012 -
Nov 18, 2012
(30 days)
- First created · 10 backed
- Susan Gray 887 friends
- Website: bigtopwithoutborders.com
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Virtual high five from us!
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Digital download of film and your name in the credits.
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Dvd copy of the film "Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison"by Northern Light Productions. A digital download of our film and your name in the credits.
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DVD copy of the film and your name in the credits.
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Big Top Without Borders T-Shirt; beautifully designed production map showing you where we filmed; DVD copy of the film and your name in the credits.
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A mystery novel about the Arctic by acclaimed Australian journalist Melanie McGrath (title TBA); A signed Arctic photo by Michele McDonald; Big Top Without Borders T-Shirt; production map; DVD copy of the film and your name in the credits.
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A CD of ArtCirq music; BTWB movie poster; Three signed Arctic photos by award-winning Boston photojournalist Michele McDonald; BTWB T-shirt; production map; DVD copy of the film and your name in the credits. (see photos at the bottom of the page)
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A djembe drum; A CD of ArtCirq music; BTWB movie poster; Three signed Arctic photos by award-winning Boston photojournalist Michele McDonald; BTWB T-shirt; production map; DVD copy of the film and your name in the credits. (see photos at the bottom of the page)
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Two tickets to the premiere of BTWB (travel costs not included); a djembe drum; A CD of ArtCirq music; BTWB movie poster; Three signed Arctic photos by award-winning Boston photojournalist Michele McDonald; BTWB T-shirt; production map; DVD copy of the film and your name in the credits. (see photos at the bottom of the page)
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A private tour of the Pucker Gallery in Boston's Back Bay, conducted by owner Bernie Pucker, with a focus on the Inuit collection (travel costs not included); Dinner with the filmmakers (travel costs not included); associate producer credit; photograph taken by acclaimed Maine-based nature photographer Sara Gray; two tickets to the premiere of BTWB (travel costs not included); a djembe drum; A CD of ArtCirq music; BTWB movie poster; Three signed Arctic photos by award-winning Boston photojournalist Michele McDonald; BTWB T-shirt; production map; and a DVD copy of the film. (see photos at the bottom of the page)
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An original Inuit sculpture valued at $2,000 from the Pucker Gallery in Boston; producer credit; dinner with the filmmakers (travel costs not included); two tickets to the premiere of BTWB (travel costs not included); photograph taken by acclaimed Maine-based nature photographer Sara Gray; a djembe drum; a CD of ArtCirq music; BTWB movie poster; Three signed Arctic photos by award-winning Boston photojournalist Michele McDonald; BTWB T-shirt; and a DVD copy of the film. (see photos at the bottom of the page)
Estimated delivery: Dec 2012
