Toronto premiers new SCW film
The 35th Toronto International Film Festival is featuring the North American premiere of Alex de la Iglesia’s new Spanish Civil War film, Balada triste de trompeta (The Last Circus; trailer here):
a wild and hilarious film that exposes the nature of political conflicts in his country’s recent history. Set in a circus, the film offers a pointed metaphor for the Spanish Civil War and the years of Franco’s dictatorship. … The film begins in 1937, as circus workers are forced to aid the Republican army in a battle against the National front. The Silly Clown (Santiago Segura), dressed in full costume, manages to wreak havoc on their ranks with a machete. When his young son Javier (Carlos Areces) attempts to help him escape from a work camp, Colonel Salcedo (Sancho Gracia) thwarts his efforts and Javier is left an orphan. In 1973, Javier, now an adult, lands a gig as the sad clown in a circus. … Bold and personal, original and adventurous, Balada Triste takes us on an unpredictable trek that culminates in a showdown at the Valley of the Fallen …
More here.
