The Invisible Circus 2001

In the vibrant cityscape of 1976 San Francisco, the enigmatic Phoebe O’Connor is haunted by the unresolved mystery surrounding the untimely demise of her free-spirited older sister, Faith. The latter had vanished from the United States at the tender age of 12, only to be discovered lifeless at the precipice’s edge in Portugal a few years later, with the official verdict declaring it a suicide. Phoebe, however, is unconvinced by this conclusion and feels an inexplicable urge to unravel the tangled threads of Faith’s final days.

Despite her mother’s fervent objections, Phoebe sets out on a solo journey across Europe, driven by an insatiable curiosity about the last year of her sister’s life. Her quest leads her to Amsterdam, where she tracks down Faith’s former lover, Wolf (whose identity remains shrouded in mystery), an Englishman who had accompanied Faith to Europe. According to Wolf, Faith’s descent into despair was precipitated by a toxic cocktail of drug use, thrill-seeking, and hedonism; he recalls their final moments together in July 1970, when Faith made the fateful decision to join the Red Army Faction in Berlin.

As Phoebe grapples with the disturbing visions of her sister that continue to haunt her, Wolf extends an invitation for her to stay with him and his wife, Claire, a French woman. Wolf’s recollections of Faith’s increasing fascination with radical politics and terrorism leave him shaken; he confesses that Faith’s eagerness to be embroiled in protests had frightened him. Phoebe, meanwhile, is consumed by the desire to retrace her sister’s footsteps and uncover the truth about the last year of her life.

Wolf’s reluctance to accompany Phoebe on her journey to Portugal eventually gives way to his sense of obligation, and they set off together. As their relationship evolves into something more romantic, Phoebe and Wolf find themselves drawn to the seaside village where Faith met her untimely demise. Upon arriving at the cliffside where Faith took her final leap, Wolf reveals the full extent of Faith’s involvement with the Red Army Faction, including a bomb detonation in Berlin that resulted in the tragic loss of an innocent life.

As Phoebe and Wolf retrace their steps to the very spot where Faith died, they are met with an unsettling realization: her death was not merely a result of her own guilt-ridden conscience but also a direct consequence of her involvement with the Red Army Faction. In a poignant moment of introspection, Phoebe and Wolf come together, their arms wrapped around each other as they light a candle in memory of Faith at a nearby cathedral.