A gorgeous new documentary provides a glimpse into the lives of eight circus artists around the globe.

The eight circus artists profiled in Grazing the Sky come from all over the globe. They appear at different stages of their careers, from students just entering circus school to seasoned veterans retiring after years on the road. They’ve made very different choices about what to do with their skills, ranging from teaching circus skills to deaf and abused girls in Palestine to starring in Cirque du Soleil productions. They don’t know each other, and their stories never connect. What they share is that while none of them come from circus families, they have all developed a passionate dedication to their art, the art of circus. In 2004, aspiring filmmaker Horacio Alcalá didn’t have enough money for film school so he got a job to raise money for tuition. That job, as a production assistant on Cirque du Soleil’s Dralion, wound up changing the course of his career. He toured for six months and th...