Symbolism of Red Balloons

In preparation for my evaluation, I decided to look at the symbolism of red balloons and what they mean in different circumstances and situations. For my music video, I looked at constructing a symbol of hope and freedom for the girl to hold. I chose a red balloon as my symbol. Through looking at the symbolism of red balloons and what they mean to society, I found that they tend to represent childhood innocence. It tends to symbolise freedom and letting go of the bad in return for letting in a positive atmosphere. Also, the colour red is usually seen in dream interpretation as either a warning sign, or a representation of passion and strong feelings. In my case, I interpreted it as a positive symbol of hope and freedom. This is also represented in other media forms, such as the 34 minute short film, which follows the adventures of a young boy who one day finds a sentient, mute, red balloon. The Red Balloon (French: Le Ballon rouge) is a 1956 fantasy featurette directed by French filmmaker Albert Lamorisse. In the short film, the balloon appears to represent an innocent essence of childhood wonders, which is destroyed because others do not understand the balloon’s significance to the boy. Fortunately, other red balloons, which could represent other childhood wonders of fantasy, take the place of the broken one at the end.