Teddy Mate is a wonderfully done short film willing to take on a cultural issue. The writer and director give a story that is solid, and heartfelt. This film visibly impacted the audience.
I saw Teddy Mate at the 2019 FilmQuest film festival (website). It was nominated for Best Student Short and Best Screenplay (Lydia Lane).
I recommend Teddy Mate for everyone. There is a message here about societal expectations and what it means to be someone who is different than what is expected. It shows this in a great way without being offensive.
Synopsis
In a world where children bond with magical teddy bears that eventually transform into their perfect, human life partner; an optimistic and strong-willed young woman struggles when her teddy mate subverts society's expectations.
Rommel Villa directed Teddy Mate and share the inspiration for the film. They also share talk about future projects and what inspired them to become a filmmaker. There is also some personal information on what they like to do when they don't have a camera in hand.
What was the inspiration for Teddy Mate?
Lydia, the writer, told me that ever since she got engaged, she kept thinking about the best way to tell her little nephews and nieces about her relationship with another woman, and wanted them to understand that love is not about choosing who to love. Then she came up with a beautiful premise in which teddy bears transform into the perfect human partners, and from there we developed a story that not only showed a whimsical world but it displayed the misconceptions society gives to what we care for the most. To me, it was all about showing that unfortunately, our society puts us in a labeled box before we get to figure out who we are. And that this happens even in the most magical scenarios. We gave each other rules for the world and used colors and choreographies to portray the perfection of couples in this kind of society.
What project(s) do you have coming up you're excited about?
I recently filmed a historical film in Mexico called Sweet Potatoes based on the life of Luis Miramontes, the scientist who developed the early stages of the birth control pill in 1951. This is my tribute to the man who changed the course of the world without receiving enough recognition. In addition, I'm writing a couple of feature scripts, one called Floating Heads in Manitoba, a horror film, and The Singing Challenge, a sci-fi/drama in a society that worships social media and mobile devices to an extreme... meaning the world that we live in now. I'm only half kidding). I'm also looking to work on more international projects, starting with my beautiful Bolivia, so I guess the sky is the limit.
What was your early inspiration for pursuing a career in film?
When I was 5, my parents were still at school and worked part-time, and since they couldn't afford a nanny, they'd lock me and my sister in our apartment. Lauren, my sister, and I would run around, playing with pots as helmets and brooms as wands, pretending to be superheroes with superpowers that would save the world from unimaginable evil forces. I always remember that moment in my life when thinking about why I love filmmaking. Imagination inspires me, people and their stories are fascinating to me, and even though many of the movies I make are fictional, they are inspired by true events and are targeted to audiences that will hopefully enjoy the story and find it somehow relatable.
What would be your dream project?
This is a tricky one. I love fantasy, horror, dark comedy, and satire, so in an ideal world, I would have a production company that collaborates with other international production companies in order to develop strange and bizarre stories that the world doesn't know needs to watch. As a minority, it is also my goal to tell Latino and LGBTQ stories that break the boundaries of what's traditional and challenge the misconceptions people have about our communities. If I had to talk about a specific project, it would be a weird movie with characters that have strange addictions in a ghost town in Bolivia where strange things happen, with a cast as amazing as Meryl Streep and Joaquin Phoenix, and with a budget that is sufficient to tell the best possible story. I'll write the story soon. I'll keep you updated.
What are some of your favorite pastimes when not working on a movie?
I love nature, so whenever I can, I go camping, visit islands, read books—I love the smell of old books—I like playing volleyball with my family, hanging out with my nephews, visiting orphanages and nursing homes and talking with kids and grownups about the intricacies of life. I also love drinking one or two margaritas staring deep into the night waiting for the sun to rise.
What is one of your favorite movies and why?
This answer changes depending on my mood. So right now, at this moment, I can say that I love Denis Villeneuve's Arrival. Inspiring, beautiful, emotional, outstanding.
You can find out more about Teddy Mate on
IMDb (link).
Facebook (link)
Film Website (link)
You can watch the trailer on YouTube (link).
And find out more about the filmmaker, Rommel Villa, at their website (link):
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