Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Firass Dirani in "The Black Balloon" (2008)

Former Red Ranger, Firass Dirani (Nick, Mystic Force) appeared in the 2008 independent Australian drama "The Black Balloon." The film focuses on Thomas Mollison who moves to a new community with his family and struggles to fit in, especially since he's often forced to watch over his severely autistic older brother Charlie given their mother's delicate pregnancy. Dirani plays the role of Russell, another autistic teen who rides the bus and attends classes with Charlie. He appears in three scenes of the film. The first finds Thomas riding the bus with his brother. He sits down next to Russell who proceeds to talk to him, telling him of his friendship with Charlie. Russell reappears at rehearsals for a stage play being performed by the autistic kids. In the film's finale, Russell is partnered with Charlie and has a tantrum in the middle of the performance. When he rushes off stage and is unable to go back out to finish his dance number with Charlie, Thomas steps in to perform with his brother. Playing the lead character, Thomas, is Rhys Wakefield who starred for several years on the primetime Aussie soap "Home and Away," which has featured several other PR stars like Jason Smith, Dan Ewing and Richard Brancatisano.












"The Black Balloon" is available on DVD


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