Louis the Ferris Wheel Kid

The move from elementary school to high school is tense for any child. But most children only have to leave behind the security of their old school, not their childhood home as well. This short documentary follows Louis, the child of a traveling carnival family, from the final day of his "mobile school" to the day they leave him behind, at the house where he will live for most of his high school years. On weekdays, he will be living with other carnival kids. Home for Louis is clearly the amusement park, where he knows everyone and everyone knows him. He nimbly climbs from one Ferris wheel cart to the next, and he is totally at ease opening the door for a group of girls. But now he has to leave this all behind. There are hardly any interviews, and none are needed: his mother's long explanation about which shirts match which pants (while Louis's expression is one of "Who cares?") speaks volumes. Louis does briefly talk about the downsides of carnival life – such as saying goodbye to friends and having to make new ones – and about what he's going to miss the most: his much younger little brother.