In the gray and damp streets of Paris, a bright red speck defies gravity as it floats by. This 1956 fantasy drama by Albert Lamorisse follows the quiet friendship between a small child and a flying object that moves as if it had a will of its own. This chase through cobblestone neighborhoods creates a vivid contrast against the city’s cold, gray tones. The child’s games of hide-and-seek with the balloon in the streets invite the viewer into that pure, fairy-tale-like sanctuary of childhood. Yet in the background, the world of adults and ruthless street gangs lurks with all its menacing presence. Lamorisse conveys the fragile nature of friendship and the struggle to make sense of the world without the need for words—using only the power of the image.