Balomania
The mission of the Centre d'art et essai de la Cinémathèque québécoise (CAECQ) is to primary program Quebec-made documentaries and independent fiction, as well as international documentaries, animated and foreign films, while encouraging opportunities for meetings between the public and the artists. Its programming is presented in conjunction with the Cinémathèque québécoise’s under the label New releases.
Winner of the Grand Prize, 2025 FIFA
In the heart of the Brazilian favelas, Danish director Sissel Morell Dargis, the only woman in an exclusively male world, gained unprecedented access to the underground world of the “balloon mafia.” For the baloeiros of Rio and São Paulo, the creation, launch, and hunting of hot air balloons represent an illegal practice, yet one deeply rooted in their cultural heritage, dating back to colonial times. Today, this practice is outlawed by the authorities, putting it on the same level as drug cartels. However, these colossal creations, which can reach over 70 meters in height and require the collaboration of more than 100 people, are also unique works of art, meticulously decorated by local artists. With the police and bounty hunters on their trail, Dargis embarks on a thrilling chase to document the obsession and extreme sacrifices necessary for this spectacular craft. (FIFA)
Sissel Morell-Dargis
Sissel Morell-Dargis has a background in painting graffiti, which lead her to photography, and eventually documentary. As a teenager, she lived in Brazil and through the graffiti scene there, she became part of the balloon world. This would lead to her first feature film, Balomania. Sissel is a graduate of the Cuban film school (EICTV), where she directed several shorts that screened around the world. Her graduate film, Plástico, is a short documentary road movie about two pseudo delinquents who turn to selling Tupperware across Cuba. The short was nominated at a number of festivals. Later on, she studied games & animation at The National Film School of Denmark. There, she developed the indie game Cai Cai Balão, which is set in the same world as Balomanía and is a crossover of characters and situations between the film and game.
Bio: FIFA
Photo: Sissel Morell-Dargis
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