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Billy's Balloon
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Wikipedia article
'Billy's Balloon' is a 16mm animated short by Don Hertzfeldt. It was his 4th and final student film at UC Santa Barbara. Similar to his other cartoons, he utilizes a minimalist stick-figure technique.
The film was invited into Official Competition at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival (where Hertzfeldt was the youngest director involved), and it won the Grand Jury Award at the 1999 Slamdance Film Festival.
On top of its film festival runs (and subsequent popularity online), the short has also appeared on Adult Swim and MTV in the US and on a number of international TV broadcasts around the world. Hertzfeldt has noted that the short's international popularity is likely because it has no dialogue and plays like a silent film.
Plot
A stick figure toddler (presumably named Billy) sits happily with a balloon and rattle until he is unexpectedly hit on the head by the balloon. The balloon gradually escalates its attack into a pummelling. When an adult passes by the balloon acts innocent until the adults pass out of sight. Billy is then slowly lifted into the air and dropped multiple times until the balloon stops in the clouds and Billy sees another child held up by a different balloon. They wave to one another and the other child is struck by a plane. A short sequence shows a girl being attacked by several balloons. Two short sequences follow of multiple children being terrorised by balloons. No explanation for how or why the balloons are mistreating children are given. The story is considered a parody of French film director Albert Lamorisse's 1956 short film 'Le ballon rouge'.
There have been many interpretations on what themes the short represents, but Hertzfeldt intentionally avoids talking about them, as to not invalidate the personal experiences the audience has with the film.
Home media
'Billy's Balloon' was featured on the DVD, "Don Hertzfeldt Volume 1", a compilation of Hertzfeldt's short films from 1995-2005. Special features included original pencil tests, production sketches, notes, and deleted ideas from the film. In 2015, 'Billy's Balloon' was remastered again for inclusion on the 'It's Such a Beautiful Day' Blu-ray.
References
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