For those not familiar with Le Ballon Rouge (The Red Balloon), it’s a short fantasy French film from 1956. It has won numerous awards including an Oscar and a Palme d’Or, and it follows the adventures of a young boy who one day finds a sentient, mute, red balloon.

The red balloon follows the boy (Pascal) through the streets of Paris, and together they overcome several obstacles. Near the end, a group of bullies, jealous of Pascal’s new friend, manage to pop the balloon with a slingshot. It collapses to the ground, deflates and dies. After that, an army of multicoloured balloons gather from all across Paris and surround Pascal, and in an attempt to cheer him up, they pick him up in the sky and take him on an amazing ride above the city. I’m sure that you recognize this image from *cough* recent TV commercials and films.

So here’s our interpretation of the story. Watch it, and I’ll give you some more explanations afterwards.