Description
For baloeiros of the Brazilian favelas, building hot-air balloons, flying them, and chasing them is at once an art form, a sport, and a tradition passed down through generations of Rio and São Paulo’s poor. The authorities have outlawed this “balomania,” but enthusiasts refuse to be deterred. Now, police hunt the balloons while criminal gangs defend this freedom of creativity.
About the director:
Sissel Morell Dargis
Filmmaker, game developer. As a teenager she lived in Brazil, immersing herself in the subculture of balloon launching. A graduate of the International Film and TV School in Cuba (EICTV), she directed several short films screened internationally. Later she studied video games and animation at the National Film School of Denmark. Her video game Cai Cai Balão, set in the same milieu as Balomania, won several Games for Change (G4C) awards.