ITALY & REEL CHICAGO ARTICLE!

We left Paris at 6am on the 6th to drive 10 hours to Verona Italy. Of course, it took us 45 minutes to find our way out of Paris, but once on the road the driving was clear with snowy mountains and
endless castles as our entertainment.






Margaret, an old friend, has joined us for a week of adventures. As a partial French speaker and good traveler she is a welcomed addition!

We love Verona's cobble stoned streets and modern stores set inside century old buildings. I like that the language is close to Spanish, this is one country that if English doesn't work I can resort to Spanish and there is a chance they'll understand. Just add a big extra ooomph on any "e" or "o" with a hand gesture and you're good.A NEW ARTICLE was written on "Issitt" and "Snow" in REEL CHICAGO.com in the Indie Focus section. It is an online film magazine and a great article about the film!

CHECK IT OUT
http://www.reelchicago.com/story.cfm?storyID=2652

NEW VIDEO - LIONS!!!!

CLICK HERE! - New video.

-Martin Lacey Jr., Stuttgart Germany 12/17/2009

A little old in our travels, but finally found some time in Paris to edit something and get it up online. Of course, "finding time" means not sleeping, but who needs that thing?! Life is too exciting -- coffee, wine, cheese and bread will fix any lacking in sleep.

Filmed the sunset over Paris today. Eiffel Tower and a golden ball. Hard to keep up with all the travels and what country we are in, but it was quite a sight to see.

KEEP DONATING & SPREADING THE WORD! Money is on it's way!

NEWSLETTER 4 - HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM PARIS!

WORLD CIRCUS CULTURE

http://www.tothemoonproductions.com/worldcircus.html (FILM'S PAGE)

HELLO FROM PARIS

Hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday and the start of a New Year full of everything you could ever want. I can’t imagine things much better. We have been to 5 countries and are only half done! Filming has met all dreams I had about the project. The people and stories are amazing and doors have been opened to us wherever we go.
Follow us on our BLOG! http://worldcircusculture.blogspot.com/

DONATIONS!
CLICK HERE -http://www.tothemoonproductions.com/circusdonate/ (new easy site)

• Raised to date: about $2,700. MUCH more needed! Thank you so much for all the support, please help keep it coming!
  
• Help us start the New Year with funding for the film! Donate $5 from your Christmas money or $100 from your holiday bonus. Everything counts!
  
  

NEWS!

• We are filming at three circus schools in London, Paris, and Italy.
  
• We are filming at one of the oldest perminent circus buildings in Paris - Cirque d'hiver
  
• The New England Center for Circus Arts had a very nice write-up and link for the film in their January Newsletter.
  

PRODUCTION!

• FIRST VIDEO !!!- somehow we found time to edit a short video from some of the filming we have done so far.
• PHOTOS have been uploaded to our facebook page - See US in action & all the ACTS - VISIT HERE
  
• QUOTES FROM THE ROAD:
  Martin Lacey, Lion act – “It’s not a job, it’s my life.”
  Petra Duss, Sea Lion act – “I was a secretary and then met Roland and fell in love with him and the sea lions. I traded in my typewriter for a fish bucket.”
  Daughter in the Kazakhstan strap act – “Ok, I’m going to go fly now.”
  Rob Torres, American clown – “By being a clown, I never have to grow up"
  Tim Roberts, Director of Circus Space, London – “circus performers are metaphors for the human condition"
  
  

Follow our travels with photos & stories on THE BLOG- http://worldcircusculture.blogspot.com/

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

http://www.tothemoonproductions.com/worldcircus.html

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NEWSLETTER 3 - IN EUROPE, VIDEO & Cirque du Soleil BIG NEWS

Forgot to post this when I sent it....

WORLD CIRCUS CULTURE

http://www.tothemoonproductions.com/worldcircus.html

(FILM'S PAGE)


We have arrived in EUROPE! Follow us on our BLOG for a NEW VIDEO & photos! http://worldcircusculture.blogspot.com/


DONATIONS!
CLICK HERE -http://www.tothemoonproductions.com/circusdonate/

A NEW donation site. Much EASIER - payment method through credit card on Pay Pal or with a check.
All still tax deductible & with rewards!

Make checks out to our Fiscal Sponsor, Acrobrats, Inc. & reference "Documentary" on the “For” line. Send to:

Acrobrats, Inc.

P.O. Box 1970

Madison Sq. Station
New York, NY 10159

• It's up to YOU! With being on the road I have to concentrate on filming and can't make my 100 calls a day for marketing and fundrasing, so I leave it in YOUR hands. PLEASE HELP. Don't procrastinate!

NEWS!

• THE BIG EXCITING NEWS!! We have finally received permission to highlight and film an act from Cirque du Soleil that will be competing at the Festival. It's a stunning act & a really important name to have attached to the film.
  
• Another NEW ACT is Troupe Yakubov from Kazakhstan. Just after they were accepted to the festival they have had to recruit 4 new performers from China. They are now frantically rehearsing, trying to make this new act as good as the one originally accepted.
  
• New write-ups on the film - see CIRCUS HISTORICAL SITE and AMERICAN YOUTH CIRCUS
  

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT & SEE VIDEOS & PHOTOS FOR ALL THE ACTS WE ARE FOLLOWING

PRODUCTION!

• New countries! See updated MAP LINK Italy & Belgium have been added!!
  
• While we're traveling I will update the BLOG as much as possible. Keep updated for notes on what town we're in, who we're filming, and PHOTOS & VIDEOS!
  

THE BLOG- http://worldcircusculture.blogspot.com/

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

http://www.tothemoonproductions.com/worldcircus.html

*If this has been forwarded to you and you would like to sign up to receive this "newsletter of sorts" regularly - email tothemoonproductions@gmail.com or sign up on the website

OFF TO ENGLAND

We're headed to the other side of the road. An interview in London and the New Year!




Here are a few photos from our days in Holland with the Duss family Sea Lions.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM ROTTERDAM with Sea Lions

(a quick pull off the highway on leaving Germany landed us along this amazing and magic tree lined road)




The number one thing I'm noticing on this circus discovery is how welcoming everyone is. Beyond welcoming....there just is no border between minute one friend and week long friend. This trip there is no time for "getting to know you", just a hand shake and then we follow our subject and new friend with a camera through their every step in life for a day or two. No one so far has blinked at what could be deemed an intrusion. Instead Ian and I are welcomed with tea and dinner.


Merry Christmas.

(from our Rotterdam hotel room with our tree)















A strange one to be sure, but the Duss Family Sea Lions - Petra & Roland - invited us for dinner in their small trailer on the Rotterdam Circus back lot. We enjoyed pasta, wine, and good conversation with sea lions barking next door.

A note for all visitors to the Netherlands:
Beer = Bear. So, when you see a restaurant called "Bella Beer", it does not mean a restaurant with lots of beer. If you choose this for you dinner place (as Ian and I did Christmas eve) you have just chosen to eat at a child's themed bear restaurant. All food will come in bear shapes and you will be surrounded, wall to ceiling, with stuffed bears.

Happy holidays to all!

Still need to get us a present or feel like spreading good cheer?! Don't forget to DONATE!! http://www.tothemoonproductions.com/circusdonate/

LIONS

We were welcomed into the trailer and life of Martin Lacey Jr., the lion trainer, yesterday. He travels with 17 lions and 12+1 of them (13 is unlucky) are in the show. Such huge, intelligent and beautiful animals. I don't think they could find such love anywhere else. As he says, "It's my life, not a job". He told the story of on one show the circus put him in a hotel too far away from his lions, so took a sleeping bag and slept in the cage with his largest white male lion, one he has had since a baby. He explains, if they are unable to be in the wild, the circus is a much better place for them than the zoo. Here they have something to do, they are intelligent animals and don't want to lay around all day bored.


Today we complete the loop of Germany and head back to Essen for 4 days with Rob Torres, the American clown.





We have stumbled upon some wonderful Christmas markets. Lots of lights, bratwurst, and hot wine on cobble stoned streets. With large snow flakes falling, it couldn't get much better.