PHOTO - SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT

Directed by: Keith Melton

Music by: Benoit Jutras

Running time: 38 min / Format: 3D

THE ONLY 3D movie theatre in Slovakia, Orange Imax, recently began screening a new film - the Journey of Man. It documents the acrobatic genius of Montreal‘s Cirque du Soleil. The Cirque du Soleil performances include elements of ballet and mime, and feature especially composed music and dramatic costumes. The group, which employs more than 500 artists from all over the world, has won many prizes at circus and acrobatic festivals worldwide.

This film not only documents the group, it also tells a story. The narration of the film, which connects the individual parts of the show, describes a child growing into adolescence and then maturing into adulthood.

The perfection achieved in each of the individual performances is surprising, as is how much the experience is enhanced by it being shown in 3D. The Journey of Man opens with synchronised swimming and continues with breathtaking acts by acrobats tied to bungee cords, a man juggling and spinning a large metallic cube, and artists performing acrobatic formations stacked four people high.

All of the acts, which Cirque de Soleil normally performs under a chapiteau or big top, were filmed outdoors in stunning settings, such as a giant redwoods forest in California and the Valley of Fire in Nevada. A renaissance-style garden with a pond is the setting for a scene in which two artists, acting like statues, come alive and use nothing but their athletic bodies to perform an incredible balancing duet.

The voiceover, in Slovak, talks about the importance of belief in miracles, faith, and love. It is rather pathetic, and adds little to the value of the film. In addition, the use of two adult actors who portray the feelings of the child growing up seem almost superfluous, not least because they distract attention away from the artists, whose acts viewers came to enjoy.

Orange Imax cinema, Ivánska cesta 12, Avion shopping park, Bratislava. Tickets: children Sk138-148, students Sk158, adults Sk198-218. For a detailed schedule visit www.kinoimax.sk or call 02/4342-3033.

SAŠA PETRÁŠOVÁ,

SPECTATOR STAFF