15 Movies Like The White Balloon

Loved The White Balloon? Based on its unique Cinema DNA—including its pacing, themes, and emotional tone—we've curated the ultimate list of what you should watch next.

24 Frames
#1

24 Frames

A collection of 24 short four-and-a-half minutes films inspired by still images, including paintings and photographs. An experimental project made by filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami in the last three years of his life.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to The White Balloon.

The Boy Who Could Fly
#2

The Boy Who Could Fly

Milly and Louis, and their recently-widowed mom, Charlene, move to a new neighborhood. Once there, they all deal with a variety of personal problems, but Milly finds a friend in Eric, her autistic next door neighbor. Eric has a fascination with flight, and as the story progresses, he exerts an enthralling force of change on all those around him.

💡Why it's a match: A highly-rated genre match based on the viewing habits of people who liked The White Balloon.

Stillwater
#3

Stillwater

Bill Baker, an American oil-rig roughneck from Oklahoma, travels to Marseille to visit his estranged daughter, Allison, who is in prison for a murder she claims she did not commit. Confronted with language barriers, cultural differences, and a complicated legal system, Bill builds a new life for himself in France as he makes it his personal mission to exonerate his daughter.

💡Why it's a match: A highly-rated genre match based on the viewing habits of people who liked The White Balloon.

Where Is The Friend's House?
#4

Where Is The Friend's House?

An 8-year-old boy must return his friend's notebook he took by mistake, lest his friend be punished by expulsion from school.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to The White Balloon.

Taste of Cherry
#5

Taste of Cherry

A middle-aged Tehranian man, Mr. Badii is intent on killing himself and seeks someone to bury him after his demise. Driving around the city, the seemingly well-to-do Badii meets with numerous people, including a Muslim student, asking them to take on the job, but initially he has little luck. Eventually, Badii finds a man who is up for the task because he needs the money, but his new associate soon tries to talk him out of committing suicide.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to The White Balloon.

A Separation
#6

A Separation

A married couple are faced with a difficult decision - to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's disease.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to The White Balloon.

Dolphin Tale
#7

Dolphin Tale

A sea of animal rescuers — and a lonely boy in need of a friend – nurse an injured dolphin back to health after it loses its tail in a trap.

💡Why it's a match: A highly-rated genre match based on the viewing habits of people who liked The White Balloon.

Damascus Time
#8

Damascus Time

Two Iranian pilots are in a special mission to save the people of a Syrian city who are surrounded by the terrorists. But they have to face many challenges before manage to accomplish their mission.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to The White Balloon.

Children of Heaven
#9

Children of Heaven

Zohre's shoes are gone; her older brother Ali lost them. They are poor, there are no shoes for Zohre until they come up with an idea: they will share one pair of shoes. School awaits.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to The White Balloon.

My Favourite Cake
#10

My Favourite Cake

Mahin lives alone in Tehran since her husband’s death and her daughter’s departure for Europe, until an afternoon tea with friends leads her to break her solitary routine and revitalize her love life.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to The White Balloon.

Skater Girl
#11

Skater Girl

Prerna, a teenager growing up in rural India, comes of age when she’s introduced to the sport of skateboarding. As a result, she has to fight the odds to follow her dreams and compete in the national championship.

💡Why it's a match: A highly-rated genre match based on the viewing habits of people who liked The White Balloon.

Through the Olive Trees
#12

Through the Olive Trees

When the actor in a scene for his film Life And Nothing More… has to quit, a film director casts another man for the part. However, complications arise since the man and the woman who was cast for the scene know each other.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to The White Balloon.

An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong
#13

An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong

A fourth grader and her friends deal with bullying from a more popular girl in their class.

💡Why it's a match: A highly-rated genre match based on the viewing habits of people who liked The White Balloon.

Little Lord Fauntleroy
#14

Little Lord Fauntleroy

Young Cedric Errol and his widowed mother live in genteel poverty in 1880s Brooklyn after the death of his father. Cedric's grandfather, the Earl of Dorincourt, has long ago disowned his son for marrying an American. But after the death of the Earl's remaining son, he decides to accept Cedric as his heir.

💡Why it's a match: A highly-rated genre match based on the viewing habits of people who liked The White Balloon.

About Elly
#15

About Elly

The mysterious disappearance of a kindergarten teacher during a picnic in the north of Iran is followed by a series of misadventures for her fellow travelers.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to The White Balloon.