Circus in Town

Graduation film of the ifs internationale filmschule köln
Animation | Drama | 5 min.

The large crowd in the circus tent shrieks hysterically, the tamer lies slain in his own blood on the ground. Above him: the elephant cow Mary. After the accident in the circus ring, the circus director fears that the spectators might stay away. To save his circus from bankruptcy, he is forced to publicly punish Mary for the incident. But the director has a deep friendship with the elephant. He must decide what matters more: Mary or the reputation of the circus.
„Circus in Town“ is a 3D animated short film that plays with aesthetics from cinematic expressionism. The story is inspired by an actual incident from 1916, where Mary the elephant cow was eventually publicly hanged from a crane.