TRAILER
In the early 1900s, the circus was the world’s greatest entertainment, and its performers were global celebrities. Among them was Con Colleano, the legendary “Wizard on the Wire,” whose family rose from humble beginnings in the Australian bush to become an international circus sensation.
The Colleano Heart is a captivating documentary that traces that journey through remarkable home movies, rare archive footage and family testimonies — revealing how the Colleanos overcame discrimination and restrictive Australian laws by concealing their Indigenous heritage, even as they reached the highest levels of circus fame. Con dazzled fans as the renowned “wizard on the wire,” mingling with icons including Charlie Chaplin at the most exclusive social sets of America and Europe, and beguiling even the likes of Hitler and Mussolini.
As filmmaker Pauline Clague uncovers her own personal connection to the story, working alongside descendants and family historians, long-hidden secrets emerge. The film reveals the Colleanos as survivors of Australia’s Hidden Generation of Aboriginal people, celebrating the resilience of an extraordinary Aboriginal family whose legacy is finally being reclaimed. Supported by leading Indigenous and circus historians, The Colleano Heart offers a powerful portrait of family, identity, survival — and the universal search for belonging.
Director: Pauline Clague
Producers: Kate Pappas, Bettina Dalton and Alan Erson
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