Directed by Albert Lamorisse • 1951 • France
Starring Jacques Prévert
Featuring narration by celebrated poetic-realist writer Jacques Prévert, Albert Lamorisse’s first fiction film established his stylistic and thematic signatures: elegant simplicity, storybook-like voice-over, and empathetic concern for children and animals. Filmed on the Tunisian island of Djerba, this spirited adventure follows two boys—one poor and good-hearted, the other wealthy and spoiled—who go from rivals to friends as they set out to save a donkey from thieves. From the start, Lamorisse’s gift for bringing forth the inner lives of his nonhuman characters suffuses his art with an otherworldly magic.
Up Next in THE FILMS
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The Red Balloon
Directed by Albert Lamorisse • 1956 • France
Starring Pascal LamorisseRarely has the spirit of childhood been evoked as exquisitely as in this Academy Award–winning cinematic fable, a fantasy with the texture of reality. On the streets of 1950s Paris, a young boy (played by director Albert Lamo...
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White Mane
Directed by Albert Lamorisse • 1952 • France
Starring Alain Emery, Laurent Roche, Clan-ClanPossessed of the timeless perfection of a fable, this tale about the unique bond between children and animals is Albert Lamorisse’s ode to the awe-inspiring majesty of nature. Amid the vast flatlands of t...
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Stowaway in the Sky
Directed by Albert Lamorisse • 1960 • France
Starring André Gille, Pascal Lamorisse, Maurice BaquetFollowing the international triumph of THE RED BALLOON, Albert Lamorisse turned to feature filmmaking with another delightful tale of a boy and a balloon. Making spectacular use of Hélivision—an ...
