Teddy Bear

Dennis is a bodybuilder in his late thirties; close to two metres tall and enormous, he frightens everyone and is extremely shy. He lives with his mother, who monitors every detail of his life. Seeing his uncle come back from Thailand with a wife, he tries the same route. He travels to Thailand and meets a woman there. The problem is not finding her but being able to tell his mother. Mads Matthiesen puts the gulf between the character and his body at the centre of the narrative. There is very little dialogue; Dennis barely speaks, and the film presents his silence as a condition rather than an obstacle. The narrative also does not romanticise male tourism to Thailand. Kim Kold plays Dennis and is a professional bodybuilder himself. The film won the world cinema directing award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012. Who it's for: Viewers who like Nordic drama, narratives about silent characters, and low-tempo films. Who it's not for: Almost nothing happens and the pace is very slow. The mother is also drawn in one dimension.