Audio By Carbonatix
A young boy. A red balloon. Paris. These simple elements taken from Albert Lamorisse’s 1956 Academy Award-winning short film The Red Balloon are woven into a beautiful, modern-day story about art, childhood and family in Hou Hsiao-hsien’s Flight of the Red Balloon. When life begins to overwhelm Suzanne, a busy single mother of two, played to perfection by Juliette Binoche, she hires Song, a Taiwanese film student, to help look after her young son Simon. Hsiao-hsien’s camera drifts slowly through the art-filled streets of Paris and the minds of his characters as Song, Suzanne and Simon–followed and mirrored throughout the film by the title’s floating red balloon–find their lives and experiences intertwining. What unfolds is a touching exploration of life and the bonds of family. A highlight at the 2007 Cannes, Toronto, AFI and New York film festivals, Flight of the Red Balloon screens at 2 and 4 p.m. Sunday at The Modern in Fort Worth as part of The Magnolia at the Modern, an ongoing series featuring critically acclaimed films. Tickets are $8.50 (or $6.50 for Modern members). Advance sales begin two hours prior to each show. For more information visit themodern.org/magnolia.html.
Sept. 5-7, 2008
