The Man with the Balloons
Marco Ferreri: Beyond the Absurd
June 9 - 21, 2023
One evening, a successful industrial manager (Marcello Mastroianni) finds himself asking: How much air can a balloon contain? He will seek the answer through the night as this odd question grows into a desperate and increasingly metaphysical quest.
One evening, a young, elegant, and successful industrial manager finds himself looking for a precise piece of information: How much air can a balloon contain? He will seek the answer through the night, as this apparently odd question becomes a desperate quest that reaches an unexpected metaphysical level. An enigmatic and tragic film, The Man with the Balloons is the virtuoso depiction of a sudden fall into the absurdity of life. Mutilated by producer Carlo Ponti, it was released as a short in 1965 under the title Break Up. Some parts of the film were then re-shot by Ferreri in color with the help of a small crew. This is the most unfairly overlooked film by Ferreri, starring a flamboyant Marcello Mastroianni at his best.
For $30, receive one ticket to a film in Marco Ferreri: Beyond the Absurd and a select menu item at Café Paradiso, located in FLC’s Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center. Learn more about our dinner and a movie combo here.
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