Farewell Ferris Wheel

This dramatic and insightful documentary explores the complex political and human-rights issues affecting guest carnival workers. Directors Jamie Sisley and Miguel "M.i.G." Martinez follow Gregorio Camacho and Florencio Cortez, who leave their families in Veracruz to work on the US carnival circuit for eight grueling months using controversial H-2B visas. In contrast to archival footage, glittering nightscapes and a lyrical score by Curtis Heath that together evoke the romanticized small-town carnivals of yore, Sisley and Martinez reveal the modern-day counterpoint: harsh living conditions, long hours and dubious pay practices - all reflected in the Congressional battles being waged by advocates of migrants' rights and the carnival industry's reflexive efforts to fight back. (Denver International Film Festival)