And the Circus Leaves Town

And the Circus Leaves Town by director Mete Souzer is a Turkish delight.It opens with a murdered man, his head smashed against a rock. A stranger removes a letter stuffed in his mouth. We are not told what it is about or who has murdered him.The townspeople of the nearby village seem unlikely villains. They are feckless no hopers. All the young people, except Feliz, the beautiful waitress and Ali, the town watchman, have left and it has become a ghost town.The villagers are whacky. One of them looks like wolverine witha fabulous moustache. The only transport in town is a tractor. It has a Mr Whippy convenience store, but you can’ t get what you want unless it’s a soccer ball.The stranger arrives at the café. Ali is suspicious of him and follows him around, even breaking into his lodgings to try to find out who he is and why he is in town.Ali sees him as a rival for the affections of Feliz.The circus comes to town. The performers are demonic; blowing fire, wearing black cloaks and Alice Cooper make-up. It is symbolic of the sleepy town unable to wake from a nightmare and cast out its inner demons.The film has won best picture at the Mexican International Film Festival and the Dare media Film Festival in Cork.