Product Details

• Actors: Andrew Atherton, Kevin Atherton, Paul James Bannerman, Ashley Beaver, Adrian Berinde
• Directors: Bachir Bensaddek, Ezra Soiferman, Lewis Cohen
• Writers: Lewis Cohen, Cleo Paskal
• Producers: Amy Introcaso, Arnie Gelbart, Christian Barcellos, Marie Côté
• Format: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese
• Region: Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only)
  PLEASE NOTE: Some Region 1 DVDs may contain Regional Coding Enhancement (RCE). Some, but not all, of our international customers have had problems playing these enhanced discs on what are called "region-free" DVD players. For more information on RCE, click here.
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: November 2, 2004
• Run Time: 286 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0002XNSZO
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #106,078 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Cirque du Soleil - Fire Within (TV Series)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

The 2003 winner of the Emmy® for Outstanding Nonfiction Program (Alternative), this 13-episode television series offers an intimate look into the dreams, trials and aspirations of a core group of performers involved in the creation and launch of Varekai™, the live production from Cirque du Soleil.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, though not thorough, July 7, 2005

By 

Jeremy Mossman (Lakeshore, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cirque du Soleil - Fire Within (TV Series) (DVD)

As a huge Cirque Du Soleil fan, I was thrilled to see the Bravo documentary series on DVD since I had missed it when it aired. I watched the entire series in a matter of two days--I was hooked immediately as it is such a long and cut-throat, yet fascinating process.

My negative criticism is that I feel like the show could have been developed so much more. We only meet a fraction of the people involved in Varekai; I would love to have spent some time getting to know the clowns (in my opinion, the magician and his assistant are one of the best parts of Varekai and I was hoping to see them in this series), gotten to watch the younger ones and how they were handled through the process. They also neglected to finish some story lines. I don't want to ruin a plot line for you so I'll be vague (though it still might give it away), but no problem finding another singer after all of the frustration in the first half of the series?

Eventhough I feel like so much stuff was left out that could have been amazing to watch, I still think this one-of-a-kind glimpse into the process is phenominal, and I do recommend the purchase for anyone interested in Cirque and their behind-the-scenes struggles and processes.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great series!, January 16, 2005

By 

Michelle S. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cirque du Soleil - Fire Within (TV Series) (DVD)

This documentary series is definitely something all Cirque fans HAVE to see, especially those who like Varekai. Mobster describes the miniseries well. With a look behind how Varekai was made, from the auditions before they even had a name for the show, until the magical premiere, It'll be a big Cirque fan pleaser. This was the first time I'd seen it (I didn't catch it on TV), and I loved it. With all the ups, downs, and real life drama (and trust me, this isn't the stereotypical "reality TV show". This really is "real life."), I really got into it. It brought out many emotions from excitement to sadness, laughter to being on the brink of tears. It was just a wonderful show. It really gives you a larger respect for what the performers are doing on stage. It lets you see a "human side to Cirque" as one of the Atherton twins said. And, along with the show, you also get an extra episode--The Reunion. A reunion of all the original performers. I loved every bit of these DVD's. I definitely recommend it if you're a fan of Cirque. :)

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Show Behind the Show, November 27, 2004

By 

Mobster 94 (Pleasant Grove, Utah) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cirque du Soleil - Fire Within (TV Series) (DVD)

Fire Within gives an intimate and revealing look at the making of a Cirque du Soleil show. From the chaotic and fragile beginnings (auditions), through creation-and recreation-to triumphant debut and tour, Fire Within chronicles the birth of Varekai. This 13-episode miniseries is full of human drama: the blossoming of stars and the flame-out of would-be stars. Fire Within shows that what ends up as a dazzling display of creative and acrobatic genius has its share of less than sparkling moments-even dark times in which the future of both the show and some of its performers teeter on the brink of disaster.

The DVD also includes extras (no surprise), including a reunion of the main players in Fire Within and a preview of a new DVD, Solstrom.

This series won a 2003 Emmy for Outstanding Nonfiction Program. But I rated it only 4 stars because I felt that ultimately, the drama was a bit lacking. Still, a great look back stage. I gained an even greater appreciation for what I see on stage.