Martin Bell

Streetwise Revisited: Rat

Filmmaker Martin Bell reconnects with Rat, one of the subjects of his 1984 documentary STREETWISE.

The Amazing Plastic Lady

Between 1989 and 1990, photographer Mary Ellen Mark went to India to document the lives of circus performers—a journey that resulted in her book “Indian Circus,” published in 1993. In 1992, Mark and director Martin Bell returned to India to film many of the same performers. The resulting short, THE AMAZING PLASTIC LADY (1995), focuses on Pinky, a ten-year-old acrobat who, like the children in STREETWISE, lives on society’s margins. The film also continued Bell’s work with editor Nancy Baker.

Circus of Dreams

Circus of Dreams follows the life of 11-year-old Pinky as she practices under the supervision of her trainer, Pratap Singh