Filmmaker Robyn Bailey’s documentary from 2007 plays
witness to the sad tale of this ninth generation family of animal trainers as they struggle
with the demise of traditional family circuses. British-born wheel-chair bound octogenarian
Derek Rosaire Snr presides over his extended family as they scramble to
practice their crafts playing any gigs that they can get for their acts. Where once their sold-out audiences would
have included royalty and US Presidents they are now hard pressed to find very small
crowds in sporadic employment in state fairs and carnivals.
retire to their ‘ranch’ in Florida to hone up on their performances and lick
their metaphorical wounds. Some train
bears, others tigers, one lot work with dogs and horses etc and the eldest daughter
works the countries only surviving chimpanzee act. The Rosaires come over as a charismatic and resilient
bunch full of life and defiantly happy despite their financial struggles. Most
importantly what Ms. Bailey has captured in the 4 years that she filmed them,
is their undeniable love for the animals that they have reared or rescued and
are equal, if not better, members of their own families, just like their children.
every animal act these days, but she balances it with a spirited defense from
the Rosaires in such a way that you fall wholeheartedly into their camp.
There can be no doubt that this is the end of an era
but for such devoted caring professionals like this family, its extremely sad.
I will fess to maybe being a tad over-sympathetic to their cause as the
tradition of going to a really good circus (in my case ‘Bertram Mills’) was an
annual Christmas treat that was extended even to us in the orphanage I grew
up. I have such happy memories of those
shows, I just hope the animals did too.
★★★★★★★
Labels: documentary
