Ménilmontant, My Mother, and Me

(Rue de Belleville, 1956)

Sometime in the 1960s: My mother, a curious young girl left to her own devices, happened to catch a strange, short film playing on television. Though it was in French and she knew none of the words, there wasn't much dialogue, and the simple story of a little boy's friendship with a balloon was easily understandable, not to mention poignant and visually stunning. The film was called "Le Ballon Rouge," or "The Red Balloon."

(Watch it! It's only 34 minutes long)

2008 or 2009: At Christmastime my mother and I were shopping at Barnes & Noble and she excitedly came upon a DVD copy of the weird little movie she hadn't seen since childhood. She told me all about how wonderful it was, smiling with nostalgic glee, and after she walked away to continue browsing for gifts I snuck back and bought the DVD for her. We watched it together at Christmas and I agreed it is a lovely, irresistably charming film.

2010 or so: I found a gorgeously illustrated book version of the film, bought it right quick, and commissioned my good friend, the artist Stephanie Land, to create a one-of-a-kind stationery set out of the luscious photos and text. She did an amazing job with it, and instead of simply giving my mother the entire set as I'd originally planned, I decided she should be the one to receive them. From time to time, even to this day, I send my mom a little love note with this special stationery. When she sees little Pascal or a bright red balloon in the mailbox, she knows there's something special inside.

2013: Now living in Paris and needing a new place to stay, I was extremely lucky to be set up in an apartment belonging to my friend's father-in-law. It is on rue de Ménilmontant, which delighted me since I'd recently learned that's where "Le Ballon Rouge" was filmed.

Now I spend my days traipsing up and down the hills where the movie takes place, retracing Pascal's steps and thinking of my mother every day. 

(I live on the other side of this church, and its bells wake me up every morning)

I really dig watching this movie, trying to figure out the locations and going to visit their modern incarnations. It's fascinating to see what has changed and what's stayed the same. This Flickr set helps me a lot, and it's just fun to peruse! Here are some of his findings:

(Notre Dame de la Croix, 1956 and 2000)

(Opening scene, on the corner of rue Piat and rue des Envierges - 1956 and 2012)

(rue Piat, 1956 and 2008 - and the boulangerie is still there!)

(Another angle on rue Piat, 1956 and 2012)

It's funny how life works sometimes. How my mother, as a little girl watching this magical, random movie on television, never could have imagined she'd one day have a daughter living in the foreign place she saw on the TV screen. It's just the magic of time, and the cultural connective tissue known as film.