Balomania

Sissel Morell Dargis / Denmark & Spain / 2024 / World Premiere / 93 min

Deep in the Brazilian favelas, a secret community of men are planning their next illegal action. They are ‘baloeiros’ – balloon builders. This group of tattooed, rugged men love balloons and can spend years gluing brightly coloured tissue paper together to create giant hot air balloons the size of apartment blocks(!) that can paint the sky in incredible colours and portray the likes of 2pac and Pelé. Different groups of baloeiros compete against each other to make the most beautiful, biggest and most spectacular balloons. Meanwhile, they themselves are hunted by police and bounty hunters, as the authorities consider them dangerous and criminal. The young Danish/Spanish filmmaker Sissel Dargis Morell has spent several years gaining the trust of the Brazilian balloon gangs and has created an action-packed film alternating between fast-paced car chases, balloon action and scenes from the secret workshops. ‘Balomania’ is an incredible story about a secret brotherhood on the margins of society, where the street sweeper can be king for a day and where the dream of freedom takes wings at last.