"It is remembered as one of the first French New Wave films. I remember the emotion when the last image of the film was a freeze-frame of the young boy protagonist."

"As someone who has been an assistant, I really connected with the protagonist, a young man working as an assistant to an inventor. There is also something lovely and dreamy and seductive about it. I went in thinking it was going to be tense and bureaucratic in some way, but it was eerily relaxing."

"The first time I watched this film, my mouth was hanging open for the entire duration. It’s an astonishing portrait of female adolescence that starts with a hurdle and never lets up. You walk with the young protagonist uphill both ways as she navigates life in a specific place and time. This is a hard and fast film that nevertheless has a tender touch that will break your heart"

"One of the most beautiful films ever made. It’s a French movie with almost no dialogue, and I remember watching it in school several times. The innocence and the imagination of the young protagonist are threatened by bullies and adults, but the relationship he forms with his balloon gives us marvelous insight into childhood. I love how the film explores universal themes that can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages and backgrounds."