Guillaume Kozakiewiez
Switzerland, France | 2014 | 95 min
World premiere
Language : French
Subtitle : English
In 2000, Antoine Rigot, a great tightrope artist in his day, partially lost the use of his legs. But instead of compelling him to give up the stage, this serious accident encourages him to become both the object and the subject of his show, “Le Bal des Intouchables”. The fall and rebirth of a tightrope artist makes for a film imbued with the spirit of its humble and courageous protagonist.
In 2000, Antoine Rigot, a great tightrope artist in his day, partially lost the use of his legs. But instead of compelling him to give up the stage, this serious accident encouraged him to become both the object and the subject of his show. “At the source of this film lies the spectator’s strong, even violent emotion. Far from the gold and prowess of the circus, the show put on by Antoine Rigot and his company Les Colporteurs is reduced to its strict minimum: a man in his battered body and a young and light girl, a virtuoso, who accompanies him and supports him. For us, a circus show has never seemed to reach this sobriety, this simplicity and dramatic power. A question arises then: who is this man who opens up on stage with such truth, such accuracy?” (GK) Through images from the “Le Bal des Intouchables” show and touching reflections, concerning the protagonist, on the relationship between art and life, we experience the fall and rebirth of a tightrope artist in this film imbued with the spirit of its humble and courageous protagonist.
Luciano Barisone
