FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON

FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON, 2007
France, Taiwan | 35mm, Color, 114’ | French, Chinese
Director: Hou Hsiao-Hsien
Cast: Juliette Binoche, Hippolyte Girardot, Simon Iteanu

This first film that the Taiwanese director has made in the West follows a wayward red balloon. The aim of this balloon roving around the streets of Paris is to protect little Simon like an angel. Meanwhile, her mother Suzanne (Juliette Binoche) makes a deal with the film student Chinese girl Song to look after his son. The balloon, coming off a children’s fantasy, wanders around the streets of Paris and stops at the Chinese puppet show in which Suzanne takes part. In the very realistic story developing around the metaphor of a balloon flying about, while Suzanne directs Chinese puppets, Simon is directed by the balloon without a string.