The first thing I noticed during this short video was the usage of sound in the first minute. The opening scene was quiet, and tranquil with the white balloon as an omnipresent blob in the background as the children gazed up at is. Almost immediately after the title sequence, the loud metal clanking began, and I appreciated the overlay of the sound while the camera filmed only landscape because e it offered the message that this was not a friendly blimp but rather a menace to society and posed a potential threat to the civilians of Kabul. The sound throughout this film was by far the most stand-out portion of the video, and I really liked the transition between the loud and abrasive presence of the United States soldiers on their tanks to the loud, playfulness of the boy on the Ferris Wheel. The boy on the ride says, “I’m so high, I can see the whole of Kabul” which was a bit eerie because in reality, he cannot, but the blimp can. Even more terrifying is that the blimp is “classified information” so the citizens of Kabul have no idea what is happening when it goes by them, they simply continue on living their lives, always under the eye of this unknown presence.
I like that the story is constructed with different scenes of people of all ages doing different everyday life with the main connecting theme that the white blimp is ALWAYS there, and always watching them. It made me feel like the blimp was watching me!
The words of the bearded man were powerful. He believes God is an omnipresent and all powerful god who knows everything at all times. In his mind, it doesn’t matter who created the balloon because God created the man who is in charge of the balloon, and thus it is God watching everyone in Kabul.
I absolutely LOVED the transition between the balloon just laying in the dirt in Kabul to the scene of Abderdeen, Maryland that looked like quintessential Americana. The transition between the blimp in Kabul and the blimp in Maryland is unreal, and it was important that the scenes from Maryland showed no citizens watching/fearing the balloon, but rather images of “the home of the free”, i.e. the flag blowing in the wind, and other red, white, and blue streamers blowing. This juxtaposition really solidified the idea of fear in Afghanistan and power/tranquility in the US. The final image with the blimp right near the church and the cross was chilling, especially next to the words that said that the blimp would still be flown even if the cameras were down. This means that the US is choosing to constantly survey Kabul, giving them a God-like power. I was left with more evidence that our country is imposing on the innocent lives of others, and I am terrified.