Directed by Mads Matthiesen. Denmark, 2012, 92 min. In Danish, English, and Thai with English subtitles.
Hot off its success at the New Directors/New Films Festival at MoMA and Lincoln Center, Teddy Bear's eponymous hero is quite a sight: a gentle giant of a bodybuilder named Dennis, who sculpts his muscles by day and lives quietly at home with his mom at night. At 38, Dennis wants a girlfriend badly, and despite his mother’s resistance (she is a master of emotional manipulation) and his own profound awkwardness, he draws up the courage to find one, even if he has to leave Denmark to do it. Mads Matthiesen’s understated, character-based comedy is utterly engaging, entirely winning, and quite natural, thanks in no small part to his cast of mainly nonactors, including Kim Kold, who plays Dennis.
“Another high point is Mads Matthiesen’s… Danish charmer TEDDY BEAR… The delicacy of Dennis’s emotions make a startling contrast with his astonishing, mountainous body.”– Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
The Furman Film Series presents a sophisticated cross-section of powerful and thought-provoking independent, art, classic, and foreign films. The series mainly hosts sneak previews of highly anticipated films prior to their theatrical release dates followed by a discussion with a relevant speaker who provides exciting insight into the film and subject matter.
