(LE VOYAGE DE BALLON ROUGE, Hsiao-Hsien Hou, France 2007, 113 min., French/subtitles)

Juliette Binoche stars in acclaimed director Hou’s (Flowers of Shanghai) first film made outside of Asia. When puppeteer Suzanne (Binoche) hires Taiwanese film student Song (Song Fang) as a housekeeper and nanny to her young son, they develop an unusual bond. Paying homage to Albert Lamorisse’s classic The Red Balloon, and revisiting many of that film’s gorgeous Paris locations, Hou’s film is actually a loving tribute to the transformative powers of all art, including music, painting, and literature.