Magique

10-year-old Tommy lives with his mother Betty on an isolated farm deep in the Canadian countryside. There's no man at home. Tommy has never known his father, and Betty, who seems to have ended up on the farm like a woman on the run, vainly searches on-line for a companion. She's a sad, silent woman, permanently shadowed by a aura of melancholy. Tommy hates seeing his mother so unhappy. He would do anything to see her smile, but how? A traveling circus arrives at the nearby village, where they plan to put up their big top. But permission is refused and it looks like they will be forced to move on. Then Tommy has a brainwave. What better than a circus to create an atmosphere of celebration, of joy? He manages to convince a reluctant Betty to offer their farm as an alternative venue, and the performers duly move into the huge field opposite the house. But there's more trouble ahead: Bingo, the driver of the truck carrying the big top, doesn't turn up. No big top, no circus! They send someone to look for Bingo... and they wait. A week passes. Tommy spends time with the circus performers, and through his interaction with these colourful characters, each more extraordinary than the last, little by little he begins to find answers to the questions we all ask ourselves – questions about love and hope and responsibility to those we love - even if modern life drives us to hide our emotions behind a cynical mask. Funny, tender, utterly captivating, set against the spectacular natural scenery of Canada's far-flung wilderness, Philippe Muyl's enchanting family fable tells the story of a boy, his mother and the traveling circus that awakens them to life's endless possibilities. Truly magical. (Wild Bunch Distribution)