Circus Palestina
Circus Palestina
dir. Eyal Halfon
Israel, 1998 - 90
A story about freedom, autonomy, car thieves, gorgeous blondes, a soldier who dreams about Tom Jones and an ageing lion who decides he's fed up with it all and is going out to find a lioness to spend the night with.
Once upon a time (and this really happened), a small circus from Eastern Europe came to the Holy Land. Several minutes after the story begins, the circus caravans are already rolling towards a tiny, picturesque and wretched village on the West Bank. Until that day, the village's main claim to fame was selling spare auto parts from the best and fastest stolen cars that landed in the Occupied Territories.
Schweik, the lion, is not able to suppress his animal instincts and escapes a moment before he is to appear on opening night. Those who understand lions say he ran away in order to get laid. Those who really love Schweik understand that he escaped to enjoy a small taste of freedom.
The three heroes of the film - Israeli soldier Sgt. Samson Bleiberg, Mariana, a Russian lion tamer and a small Arab boy named Fathi "Dayan" set out in search of the lost lion. Their dreams run up against a reality in which people go crazy over the wrong flags and have no patience for lions going out on a stroll.
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