“An engaging story about a teenage girl finding out who she really is and standing up for herself. Plus how could we not know about Teddy Girls?! Finding out about them was a lovely bonus! “– The Filmed Up Panel
Synopsis
A young immigrant searches for her own identity while fighting for recognition in a male-dominated classroom.
About The filmmaker / the team
Creative duo, producer and director, Pilar Cartró Benavides and Milda Baginskaitė, have worked on a handful of successful films together and now run a Manchester-based production company Pili Mili Films. Their projects have been accepted into more than 150 international film festivals, including BAFTA and OSCAR qualifying ones, achieving awards and special mentions along the away. Their creativity has been backed by Directors UK, Arri, Girls in Film, Dr Martens, Sharjah Art Foundation and others.
You can follow Milda and Pili Mili Films on instagram @missmildute and @pilimilifilms
How did the film come about?
The film is funded by Girls In Film and Dr Martens as part of their film fund. Produced by a Manchester-based production house Pili Mili Films, led by Pilar Cartró Benavides and written and directed by a Lithuanian born, Manchester-based Milda Baginskaitė.
Teddy is an identity-focused coming-of-age film, inspired by the cruel reality of teenage pressures to “fit in”, whether in culture, class, style or sexuality. Its goal is to highlight the power of choice when shaping our own identity and join the conversation around the importance of liberating oneself from labels, especially at a young age.
When thinking about female strength, some badass misfit characters from history come to mind. Culture is complicated enough, navigating through it as a teenager has its own challenges. History has been written and rewritten. With Teddy I wanted to take these heavy themes and look at them through the eyes of a misfit teenager. I wanted her to find a piece of history she could find shelter in, at least for a little while.