The renowned Alloy Orchestra returns to Omaha with a brand-new score to a recently unearthed film oddity.

Gallery of Monsters is an exciting and sometimes tender love story that follows the lives of circus folk, particularly the loving relationship of a clown named Riquett’s and his wife, Ralda. The cast of characters are the staples of a circus side show — a giant, a little person, a woman with only half a body, and others are lovingly depicted as a circus family (much like the later film Freaks). Subverting the typical freak-show narrative, the “monsters” here are the evil circus owner and the lion tamer, who attempt to seduce the beautiful Ralda. Excellent cinematography, surreal costumes, and a terrifying lion attack make this intriguing new discovery a must see.

Until this recent restoration by former Film Streams guest Serge Bromberg, Gallery of Monsters has been virtually unknown and unseen. Alloy Orchestra’s score was commissioned by Indiana University Cinema and the Indiana University Office of the Bicentennial.