Erfurt -- KiKA will air the award-winning documentary "Zirkuskind" on Friday, November 6, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. It will be available on the KiKA channel, on kika.de and in the KiKA app.
A road movie that mixes real footage with animation
The film follows Santino, who travels from town to town with his family and lives among caravans, animals and the circus ring. The documentary road movie combines real-life observation with animated sequences. It offers a look into the life of one of the last traveling circus families in Germany.
Santino's great-grandfather tells the family's stories
Santino's great-grandfather, one of Germany's last great circus directors, recounts the tales of the family's ancestors. They include contortionists, daring stunts and bull elephants. The result is a portrait of a family whose everyday life revolves around cohesion, tradition and constant movement.
The film also covers growing up in a large family, living with animals and a childhood between reality and magic. It shows both the challenges and the freedoms of life on the road, and why belonging and community matter to young people.
Anna Koch and Julia Lemke made the film, and it already has a Lola
Anna Koch and Julia Lemke realized the documentary. Flare Film produced it in co-production with hr, MDR and SWR. It is part of the initiative "Der besondere Kinderfilm" and was funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media, the Kuratorium junger deutscher Film foundation, the German Film Fund and Hessen Film & Medien.
In 2026, "Zirkuskind" won the German Film Award (Lola) for Best Children's Film.