(SIGNIS/INTERFILM). Mon cirque à moi (My Very Own Circus), directed by Miryam Bouchard (Canada, 2020), won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the 26th SCHLINGEL International Film Festival for Children and Young Audience.
In their motivation, the Jury, appointed by SIGNIS and INTERFILM, said the following: Laura has always been on the road, as an assistant to her father, a professional clown. But at 13, she wants a more stable life and mostly to go to school regularly. And maybe also to oppose her father.
With bright images, sets and scenes full of poetry, the director subtly unfolds a scenario full of humour, twists and turns, sorrows and small victories. Thanks to the friendship of a neighbour and the kindness of a teacher, Laura will finally be able to continue her studies without losing the fantasy of her previous life.
The film shows the difficulty of being a parent and letting children live a different life with delicacy. We can love each other without being alike. Our emotional life is a circus, and we all are clowns!
The members of the Jury were Juliane Ebert (Germany), Viktor Kókai-Nagy (Hungary), and Magali van Reeth (France).
The SCHLINGEL International Film Festival was held from October 9 to 16, 2021. Almost 200 films, including 10 world premieres, were shown in three age-related competition sections (children’s, junior and youth film), as well as the animation, short film and German competition.