The Red Bags of Chinatown

As a child I loved The Red Balloon, Albert Lamorisse’s 1956 film about a lonely Parisian boy, and a big red balloon that magically becomes the boy’s friend, playmate, and even defender. I saw echoes of Lamorisse’s story in the red plastic bags that are such a common aspect of shopping or eating out in Chinatown. Unlike the white plastic bags ubiquitous in the rest of the city, Chinatown’s red bags, hit by the late light of the setting sun’s rays seem to change from the ordinary to the magical - glowing symbols of good fortune and good commerce for the community. This series was featured in The New York Times.