Madrid, Spain, 1949. The Circo Americano arrives in the city. While the big top is pitched in a vacant lot, the troupe parades through the grand avenues: the band, a witty impersonator, the Balodys, acrobats, jugglers, acrobatic skaters, clowns and… Buffallo Bill.
Direction
Berlanga's eye for human comedy already shining.
Cinematography
Black-and-white Madrid streets as accidental poetry.

Director
Luis García Berlanga
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Berlanga made this at Madrid's Instituto de Investigaciones y Experiencias Cinematográficas before his famous collaborations with Rafael Azcona.
Shot during Spain's autarky period, the film's celebration of imported American spectacle carried subtle political weight for local audiences.