THREE RED BALLOONS
On my daily Youtube trawl today, I came across a video for the late, great Elliott Smith‘s song Son of Sam, recently uploaded by his record company, which is clearly inspired by Albert Lamorisse‘s wonderful classic short, The Red Balloon.
I’d never seen the video before and the timing seems particularly apt given that Janus Films have just re-released Lamorisse’s movie theatrically along with the director’s other shortform masterpiece, White Mane. You should definitely see this double bill on the big screen – a list of playdates can be found here – but if you aren’t near any of the theaters listed, you can also watch The Red Balloon in four parts on Youtube.
Another reason the Smith video is so relevant right now is that Hou Hsiao-Hsien‘s Flight of the Red Balloon, another homage to Lamorisse’s movie, is to be released next year through IFC First Take. I sadly missed the film when it played at the New York Film Festival a few months ago, but am very excited by the prospect of the movie, which you can see a trailer for below.
Incidentally, The Red Balloon was also the first film that Esther Robinson, director of the excellent A Walk into the Sea: Danny Williams and the Warhol Factory (out this Friday), ever saw. Look out for an interview with her later this week.
