A lonely widow finds comfort in the company of a hungry stray cat, which soon takes over her life in unimaginable ways.

Interview with Writer/Producer/Director Alexander Toma and Amanda Aagard

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

AMANDA: Well for me this film was kind of a reaction to the pandemic. I usually freelance as a set designer but when the Swedish film industry was put on hold I started to build miniatures, just as a creative outlet. I used to live in Tokyo, so all of my photos from that time were my starting point and inspiration. I also spent way too many hours walking around on Google Maps…

ALEXANDER: And me seeing those miniatures sparked the idea of creating a stop-motion short film. So we started discussing the scale and locations of the world, and from there the script and the set started to develop side by side. I always wanted to write something humorous with unexpected twists and turns, and the world Amanda built opened up so many possibilities for that.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

Well, we think anyone who appreciates filmmaking would enjoy this film. We put some much energy and love into this short, everything is handmade and both of us are kind of perfectionists at what we do, and we think that shines through when you watch it. We’re really proud of it and also it’s just a fun film, we think it entertains but also creates some questions about the real themes of it all. Oh, and there’s also a little bit of magic!

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

It feels like all of our previous works deal with loneliness in one way or another, and this short is no exception to that. The script was written pretty fast without any thought of the bigger picture, but then when we read it it felt obvious that the real essence of it was courage, and that we’re all never too old for an adventure. The short is definitely playful and a bit surrealistic, so that opens up for all kinds of fun interpretations and everyone who watched it kind of has their little reading of it.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

ALEXANDER: This is a pretty fun question because when the script was written neither of us had done animation or stop-motion before. So I really didn’t hold anything back when writing and I feel like our naivety of what was possible and not was actually an advantage. Would we have known how much work was required then the script would probably be a lot simpler, and the film would be something completely different.

AMANDA: As for the evolution of the film I think the most fascinating thing with filmmaking is how many people there are out there that are just amazing and talented at their work. So bringing on people that we love to work with and that all contribute with their point of view and expertise, they really brought life into the project. Especially with animation, you need all the “life” into it that you can get.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

ALEXANDER: It feels like people really enjoy the handmade feel and tone of it. It’s also an amusing piece so it absolutely gets its laughs. I feel like the audience appreciates that it’s unexpected and entertaining and that it also doesn’t take itself too seriously, but at the same time bigger themes are going on.

AMANDA: I mean for me who built the set the biggest compliment I got was from our lead actress's mother, who is an old Japanese lady. We had an exhibition with our sets and she said that it was just like walking around her neighbourhood when she was a kid living in the outskirts of Tokyo. That almost brought tears to my eyes haha.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

Not really challenged but we’ve definitely been surprised by people's interpretations of what happens in the film. As mentioned the film's surrealistic tone opens up for a lot of different ideas so listening to the audience's readings has been very fun. It’s like “Yeah, we didn’t think of it that way but it sure makes a lot of sense!”. There are no wrongs or rights in this one.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

As many may know the world of short films is not a huge one and it’s sometimes hard to even find an audience for your film. We think that any and every possibility to talk about the film, screen it or just show some behind-the-scenes pictures is awesome. So for anyone reading this, thank you, you rock! Also, thank you to WAMS for reaching out and asking great questions!

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

This film is just starting its festival circuit so we’re excited for anyone and everyone to reach out! We’re having our international premiere at Tribeca Festival very soon so that opens up the US festivals and markets. Anyone interested in screening it let us know! And if you’re interested in buying it head over to Premium Films.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

With this one we just want everyone sitting in their comfy cinema chairs to have a good time. We hope as with any work of art that it evokes emotions, and hopefully, also inspires others to the world of stop-motion. With all the digitalisation going on we sure feel that it is a dying art form…

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

Should I finally pack my bags and travel to Japan and experience their amazing culture, people and art? (Yes, you unquestionably should.)

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

AMANDA: Right now I’m working as a set builder for Niki Lindroth von Bahr's next stop-motion short film. She’s an amazing Swedish filmmaker and it's a privilege to be able to continue building miniature sets! If you haven’t seen any of her work I strongly recommend checking it out.

ALEXANDER: As for me I’m currently spending a lot of my time submitting to festivals and working on distribution of our short. But I can feel the summer breeze just around the corner and that means time to start working on the next script and project!

Interview: May 2024

We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

Budō

A lonely widow finds comfort in the company of a hungry stray cat, which soon takes over her life in unimaginable ways.

Length: 14:51

Director: Alexander Toma, Amanda Aagard

Producer: Alexander Toma, Amanda Aagard

Writer: Alexander Toma, Amanda Aagard

About the writer, director and producer:

AMANDA AAGARD has a background in theater and textile design. After studying at Gothenburg Art School and Gothenburg's Film Worker School, she started her career working with costume and makeup design for commercials and dramas. After a change in departments, she is now focusing on balancing stop motion set design with commercial work and her short film productions at AMSAGA.

ALEXANDER TOMA comes from the technical aspect of filmmaking. Having studied Screen & Media at Sydney Film School, working full time as a DoP and editor at two different production companies and now working as a freelance director and editor. Together with Amanda Aagard, they are running the production company AMSAGA based in Gothenburg, Sweden, with a focus on short films. Their productions usually explore the subjects of loneliness and belonging through confident visual storytelling and a minimalistic approach to dialogue. Budō is Alexander's fifth short film and his first animation.

Key cast: Mayuko Lindström

Looking for: journalists, film festival directors, buyers

Instagram: @amandaaagard, @alexandertoma

Hashtags used: #budo #shortfilm #animation #stopmotion #amandaaagard #alexandertoma #tribeca2024

Website: AMSAGA

Other: IMDb

Funders: Film i Väst, The Swedish Film Institute, FilmCloud, Göteborgs Stad, Hey it´s Enrico Pallazzo!

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?

Tribeca Festival/New York/AMC 19th St. East 6/Sat June 08, 2:30 PM - Tribeca Festival/New York/Village East by Angelika/Thu June 13, 2:00 PM - Tribeca Festival/New York/AMC 19th St. East 6/Sat June 15, 3:15 PM