The Circus Burned Down, and the Clowns Have Gone ( Tsirk sgorel, i klouny razbezhalis) is a 1998 Russian drama film directed by Vladimir Bortko and starring Nikolai Karachentsov. It tells the story of a successful film director who is about to turn 50 and struggles with financiers, his insane mother and a mysterious woman who tells him how meaningless his life is.