True/False Films

Carny

In person: cinematographer Virginia Lee Hunter.

Hairy is a young woman head over heels in love with the carnival, though her radiant smile hides a world of childhood pain. Bozo the clown was born into the carnival — his brothers were conjoined twins who traveled with a freak show. Dave spent much of his youth in prison but now works the midway and juggles a pair of girlfriends. All of them have a love/hate affair with the sawdust and flashing lights, but it's a relationship they just can't quit. Filmmaker Alison Murray immersed herself in this world and gained an access that few have known before. The result is this effortlessly intimate and beautiful portrait of a vanishing American subculture. Mixing handheld video with mirage-like super 8 film, Murray finds honor and pride among those who travel with the carnival and survive on society's fringes. (DW)