Toronto premiers new SCW film

August 21, 2010
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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.

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