“The Red Balloon”

Almost everyone has fond memories of seeing the elementary school perennial “The Red Balloon,” but unless your school had state-of-the-art projection it’s unlikely you’ve seen the 1956 charmer look as good as it will with a newly restored 35-millimeter print beginning Friday at the Nuart. The beguiling tale of a young French boy befriended by an omnipresent ballon rouge earned writer-director Albert Lamorisse an Oscar for best original screenplay -- a rarity for a short. Possessing a rare sense of timeless wonder, it is paired with the less familiar “White Mane,” Lamorisse’s 1953 black-and-white drama about a boy’s affinity for a wild horse.