The Red Balloon (1956)

Original title

Le Ballon rouge

Directed by

Albert Lamorisse

Genre

fantasy film, children's film

Country

France

Runtime

34 min

Rated

NR

Rating

7.7 of 10 from 442 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A young boy in Paris befriends a red balloon that seems to have a mind of its own. The balloon follows him through the city streets and they have small adventures together. Other children try to take the balloon away.

whimsicalgentlesentimentalplayfulwordlessdreamlikeinnocentbittersweet

What happens

The Red Balloon (French: Le ballon rouge) is a 1956 French fantasy comedy-drama featurette written, produced and directed by Albert Lamorisse. The 34-minute short, which follows the adventures of a young boy and a sentient, mute red balloon, was filmed in the Ménilmontant neighborhood of Paris. Lamorisse's son Pascal plays himself in the main role, and his daughter Sabine portrays a young girl. The film won numerous awards, including an Academy Award for Lamorisse for Best Original Screenplay in 1956 and the Palme d'Or for short films at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival. It also became popular with children and educators. It is the only short film to win the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The film is considered among the greatest short films in history. It is almost completely wordless, although not silent. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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