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Suzanne

A History Of Circus

A conference-film-documentary-performance

As Godard said about cinema, it’s not a just history of circus, it’s just a history of circus.

It’s the 1950s: Suzanne and her husband perform a breathtaking aerobatic act around the world at a height of 10 metres without a safety net. For each performance they need the right gesture in order to stave off the risk, sure, exact, precise. Double or nothing, every time.

It’s 2017: Anna meets Suzanne, a woman in her nineties. She discovers her story, and starts to wonder. About the circus of the « grande époque », the constraints it imposed, the freedom it offered. About a singular art form, demanding and ephemeral, in which you commit yourself wholeheartedly, but which is accomplished only in the moment, and survives only in the memory of a few spectators.

In recounting Suzanne’s story, and in rescuing her favourite act from oblivion, Anna is looking for what it is that has withstood the passage of time. What remains of us, of our risks, our gestures, our moments of incandescence? What remains of our past beauties and perfections? Of grace and time, which destroys the other?

WHY ?

For Suzanne, her story, her beauty, her mystery.

For what the circus doesn’t tell us about itself.

For the memory that fades, the traces that we don’t pay attention to, those elders that we deny.

Because of my fear of disappearing.

Because of my desire to learn and to try again.

And for the love of cinema and of the circus, both of which ask the question “…and if only…?”

THE TRAILER

THE TEAM

Performance and conception: Anna Tauber

Developed and directed by : Anna Tauber and Fragan Gehlker

Editing: Ariane Prunet

To the circus Act recovered : Simon Bruyninckx, Marine Fourteau and Luke Horley

To the safety lunge : nobody

Camera: Zoé Lamazou, Lucie Chaumeil and Raoul Bender

Documentation: Suzanne Marcaillou and François Rozès

Costumes and accessories : Marie-Benoîte Fertin, Héloïse Calmet and Lise Crétiaux

Music: Tsirihaka Harrivel

Light design: Clément Bonnin

Sound mixing: Alexis Auffray

Colour grading: Axelle Gonay

Lighting and stage management: Elie Martin

To flesh out the story: Perrine Carpentier, Aziz Drabia and Roselyne Burger
Administration : Manon Gagnepain

With thanks to:

Maryvonne Métrope, Anne-Marie Sanz, Angèle Guilbaud, Marcel Vidal Castells, Arne Sabbe, Scott Noblet, Angèle Besson, Etienne Charles, Julien Fallec, Jörn Gehlker, Coline Chinal Pernin, Lara Manipoud, Eflam Gehlker, Louis Lamer.

OUR PARTNERS

Produced by L’Association du Vide & Avant La Faillite

Coproductions and residencies: Plateforme 2 Pôles Cirque en Normandie / La Brèche à Cherbourg and Le Cirque Théâtre d’Elbeuf, Le Palc – Pôle National Cirque de Châlons-en-Champagne, Grand Est, Le Carré Magique – PNC en Bretagne, Latitude 50, Pôle arts du cirque et de la rue de Marchin (Belgium), L’Azimut – Pôle National Cirque en Ile-de-France, l’Espace Périphérique (Ville de Paris – Parc de la Villette).

Other support: L’Essieu du Batut, Le Pop Circus, La Grainerie, La Martofacture, Les Quinconces-L’Espal, scène nationale du Mans, Le Canal-Théâtre à Redon, Le Ciné Manivel à Redon, Les Tob’s.

Institutional support: DRAC Ile-de-France.

With touring support from the ENSATT professional integration scheme.

TECHNICAL NEEDS

Venue: theatre (adaptable to certain non-dedicated venues, notably cinemas).

Audience size: depends on the venue and context, but can be large and in frontal configuration.

Running time: 1 hour 20 minutes.

Recommended audience: all ages, from 10 upwards.

Daytime performances possible: The compnay would like to prioritise daytime performances for school groups from the 13 years old upwards, as well as other adult groups who would not be able to come to evening performances (associations, charities, other groups, etc.).