Flight of the Red Balloon
Wed 25 Jun 2008 8pm
Cert PG, 113 mins Dir: Hsiao-hsien Hou France 2007
Commissioned by the Musée d’Orsay The Flight of the Red Balloon is a beautiful cinematic love letter to the French capital.
Juliette Binoche plays Suzanne, effectively the single parent of seven-year-old Simon, who writes and narrates faux-Chinese puppet plays. She hires Song, a film student from Beijing, as Simon’s childminder. Simon finds his steps haunted by a stray red balloon, which may or may not have something to do with the fact that Song is trying to remake Albert Lamorisse’s classic short The Red Balloon. In French with English subtitles.
An exceptional piece of filmmaking, intricate, elaborate and exuding warmth and wisdom from its every frame Time Out
£7 (£5.50 Members)