THE RED BALLOON

Nov 2018 – May 2019 

This project was inspired by the 1956 French short film, ‘Le Ballon Rouge’, written, produced and directed by Albert Lamorisse. It refers to hope, contrasted with harsh realities of life. 

My eldest daughter and I made this project together. My daughter has a kidney disease effecting the collagen of the membranes in the kidneys, eyes and ears. This means that eventually her kidneys will stop working, and her hearing and eyesight degrade. The balloon is a visual representation of the disease she carries through her daily life.

Her creative input and expression allowed an ease of open communication about her disease; and her experience of it at this time of her life. She was 8 years old. In many ways she feels like a normal young girl, but her disease and struggles are a part of her journey that make her who she is. We want to support her strength of character and determination, as well as her vulnerabilities.

Sometimes we almost forgot.