A mysterious red balloon affectionately follows seven-year-old Simon around Paris. His mother Suzanne is a puppeteer who uses her vocal talents to bring life to the shows she writes. Completely absorbed in her new show, single mother Suzanne becomes overwhelmed by the complications of modern daily life. She decides to hire Song Fang, a Chinese film student, to help her care for Simon.

4½ Stars- Tom Ryan, SUNDAY AGE
4 Stars- "Let the film take you over and you could imagine that Vermeer were alive and well and working as a filmmaker in Paris." Sandra Hall, SYDNEY MORNING HERALD 
4 Stars- Philippa Hawker, FILM OF THE WEEK - THE AGE  
4 Stars- "A mesmerising film." Thomas Caldwell, THE BIG ISSUE 
7/10: "... this low-key elliptical drama is exactly why you go to the cinema: to slow down and focus on the minutiae of modern life." SUN HERALD  
3 Stars- "... those who stay to the end of this delicate and beautiful film will be amply rewarded." Evan Williams, WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN  
"This delicate and touching film from France... achieves its power with long takes, improvised dialogue and naturalistic performances." Evan Williams, THE AUSTRALIAN 

Israeli filmmaker Eran Kolirin's debut feature, THE BAND'S VISIT, is a subtle, heartfelt, and humane work that goes a long way toward dissolving the incredibly complex cultural divide that continues to plague the Middle East. When the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra flies from Egypt to Israel to perform at the opening of an Arab culture center, they are left stranded at the airport.