Using the simple motif of a balloon, this short film takes us on a fun stroll through a character’s life from childhood to old age. The balloon metaphor is played with in amusing ways at the various stages of his life. First it is a toy, but later it becomes a chewing-gum bubble, the tummy of a pregnant woman, and so on … Balloons are also used to represent various memories amassed by the character in his time, and at one point the whole frame is crammed with ballons. One by one they are burst by the beak of a blackbird, symbolising memory loss and old age. But the character carefully keeps hold of his most precious balloon – the memory of his wife – until he hands it to a little boy … Thus the wheel turns and the memory is passed on. The use of this recurring theme will intrigue children and stimulate a discussion about its aesthetic and narrative role: what does it represent at each stage in the character’s life?
A lovely analogy for life, handled as gently as a floating balloon. Accompanied by a jazz piano, the film-maker’s own illustrations feature tender light lines and a delicate palette that gives it the feel of a sepia photo whose colours have slightly faded.
