The Balloon (1956) Fûsen | Region-Free (Blu-Ray)

Cinema Dream Network Region-Free Blu-ray/BD-R Release

Sourced from a Japanese Blu-ray with added English subtitles.

Title: The Balloon (2013)

Alternate Title: Fūsen

Genre: Drama, Short Film

Plot Synopsis:
A young woman and a small boy, both struggling with isolation, form an unexpected bond through a shared experience involving a balloon. This brief yet poignant film explores themes of loneliness, connection, and the simple joys that can bridge emotional distances.

Cast and Crew:

• Director: Natalia Lampropoulou
• Writer: Sotiris Petridis
• Cast:
  • Joyce Evidi as Nikoleta
  • Dimitris Kolovos as George
  • Matina Koulourioti as Psychologist
  • Daphne Michopoulou as Daphne

IMDb Link:
The Balloon (2013)

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. Stephen M – ★★★★☆
   “I’m glad MUBI has launched a retrospective of the films of Japanese director Kawashima Yuzo this month. Not well known to Western viewers, he was prolific and respected in Japan. This film ‘The Balloon’ is a domestic melodrama with nicely drawn characters, and the screenplay was written by Shohei Imamura, who went on to be a famous director. One striking feature of the film is the contrast between those characters struggling to live thoughtful decent lives in postwar Japan versus those who are amoral and using others to get ahead. One character, the son’s mistress Kumiko (Michiyo Aratama) who is abandoned by her for a nightclub dancer, is particularly tragic and is linchpin in showing how the other characters reveal…”
2. Avirup – ★★★★☆
   “Certainly the best I’ve seen from Kawashima. A terrific portrait of morality in post-war Japan. A look at changing society with all its western influences, clash of old and young ideals. Emotionally complex, character work is great and the way film slowly reveals itself with mundane everyday events is pretty sublime. Extremely well directed by Kawashima, and the script co-written by Imamura is really strong, most of its cynicism can be attribut…”

Meta Description:
“The Balloon” (2013), directed by Natalia Lampropoulou, is a short drama that delves into the lives of a young woman and a small boy, highlighting their shared moments of connection amidst personal isolation.