Kelly Alfieri |Web Director

My children (Clementine and Nathaniel, almost 3) love the The Red Balloon book and we just got the Criterion Collection DVD of it. There is barely any dialogue and not much happens but they are riveted by the beauty of it and of the elementary story of good (Pascal, who just wants to hang out with his trained balloon) vs. evil (the boys who want to pop it). I first saw this when I was 6 or 7 and it was screened on a Saturday afternoon at our local library. I loved it then and it gave me an exciting glimpse into a world I didn’t know. Even now, I  feel transported to Paris each time we watch it. The movie was made in 1956, so not so long after World War II, and the streets of Paris still look a bit bare and maybe a little frayed at the edges, but still beautiful. I love seeing the school children’s formal outfits, the fabulous cars, and grand architecture. Traveling to Paris isn’t likely to happen anytime soon but I like that we all get to have a mini trip there when we watch the movie and it gets me excited for the day that we can all go there together. Here’s a clip to enjoy.