CIRKUSZTESTVÉREK / CIRCUS SIBLINGS

At the beginning of 2020, twelve youths from Imre Baross Circus Arts School Hungary receive the opportunity to continue their studies at the Beijing International Art School as part of a special circus performer class. The children, aged 12-14 would give anything to achieve their dreams. They are ready to leave their friends and families behind to start a new life far from home. But for their sacrifices, the circus provides a chance to prove themselves. During the difficult period of preparation, they stretch their physical and mental limits day after day, before an unexpected event, the global COVID-19 pandemic paralyses the world, thus preventing the Far Eastern voyage. However, their hard work is not in vain, as after several months of uncertainty, the pupils are set to spend a semester at the Kyiv Academy of Circus Arts in the Fall of 2021. They get a small glimpse of life there before it is shattered by war a few months later. A special bond forms between the Hungarian youngsters and their Ukrainian teachers and fellow students that bridges the gap between cultures. While the children have to remain steadfast in a foreign environment, they are helped by their new friends who all speak the language of the circus. The members of the class embark on their journey as children, but the challenges they encounter along the way force them to find their inner selves, forge bonds and return home as grown-ups. Circus Siblings teaches us to hold onto our dreams even if our world is flipped upside down, and that the road to our goals may be more important than the destination itself.