To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Circus Knie, SRF, RTS, RSI and RTR staged a 180-minute docu-fiction in two parts. The story of the Swiss National Circus is told over several generations through a fictional part, a documentary part as well as archive footage. The viewer experiences the ups and downs in the history of the Swiss National Circus and obtains insight into the circus life that takes place behind the spectacular performances.
DirectorGreg Zglinski
WriterDomenico Blass
Part 1
Jan 1, 2019
It's the story of four brothers who, against their mother's wishes, bought a big top, erected for the first time in Berne in 1919. Around the central figure of Margrit Knie-Lippuner, we look back over the founding years of Circus Knie and those, more difficult, of the Second World War.
Part 2
Jan 8, 2019
An immersion in the Knie family and life in the Swiss National Circus, during preparations for the jubilee programme in 2018. A look behind the scenes and at the exacting daily routine of the circus artistes. Interviews with prestigious friends, such as Géraldine Chaplin, and archive footage provide the background.
