synopsis
A mysterious red balloon follows, in a friendly manner, a seven-year old boy Simon around Paris. His single mother-Susanne is a talented puppeteer who is currently working on a new play, and is extremely preoccupied with her work. She decides to engage a Parisian student, a Taiwanese Song, to help her take care of Simon...

about the director
Hou Hsiao-Hsien was born in Meixian in China in 1947. He grew up in Taiwan. He graduated from the Taiwanese Arts Academy. At first, he worked as a screenwriter and director’s assistant. He made his first feature film in 1980. His filmography consists of 19 films that won many awards. Some of the most significant are: the Golden Lion for A City of Sadness (1989), the Jury Prize in Cannes for The Puppetmaster (1993) and FIPRESCI award in Berlin for A Time to Live, a Time to Die (1985).

festivals and awards
A world premiere: a program Un Certain Regard in Cannes, 2007
Toronto International Film Festival 2007

from the director's filmography
2007. Le Voyage du ballon rouge (Flight of the Red Balloon)
2005. Zui hao de shi guang (Three Times)
2003. Kôhî jikô (Café Lumière)
2001. Qian xi man po (Millennium Mambo)
1998. Hai shang hua (Flowers of Shanghai)
1996. Nan guo zai jan, nan guo (Goodbye South, Goodbye)
1995. Hao nan hao nu (Good Men, Good Women)
1993. Xi meng ren sheng (The Puppetmaster)
1989. Bei qing cheng shi (A City of Sadness)
1987. Ni luo he nu er (Daughter of the Nile)
1986. Lian lian feng chen (Dust in the Wind)
1985. Tong nien wang shi (A Time to Live, a Time to Die)
1984. Dong dong de jia qi (The Sandwich Man)
1983. Feng gui lai de ren (All the Youthful Days)

about the film
Flight of the Red Balloon, the first Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s film which was entirely filmed outside of the domicile cinematography, is a homage to the Red Balloon of Albert Lamoriss (which will also be screened at this OTFF). The two films share the same iconography: a boy, a balloon, sights of Paris...