Teddy Jay (ເທັດດີ້ ເຈ)
Directed by: Lee Phongsavanh (ກໍາກັບໂດຍ: ລີ້ ພົງສະຫວັນ)
Written by: Lee Phongsavanh (ບົດປະພັນໂດຍ: ລີ້ ພົງສະຫວັນ)
Genres: drama (ຮູບເງົາແນວ: ລະຄອນ)
Duration: 5:55 mins (ຄວາມຍາວ: 5:55 ນາທີ)
Year: 2013 (ປີ 2013)

ພວກເຮົາໂດຍສ່ວນໃຫຍ່ບໍ່ໄດ້ຄິດຊໍ້າຊາກກ່ຽວກັບວັດຖຸບໍ່ມີຊີວິດໃນຊີວິດປະຈໍາວັນຂອງພວກເຮົາ. ຮູບເງົາສັ້ນເລື່ອງນີ້ ແມ່ນການບອກເລົ່າເຖີງເລື່ອງລາວທີ່ບໍ່ທໍາມະດາກ່ຽວກັບ ຄວາມຂື້ນໆລົງໆທາງຮ່າງກາຍ ແລະ ອາລົມຂອງ ເທັດດີ້ ເຈ, ຕຸກກະຕາໝີ ທີ່ຮຽນຮູ້ກ່ຽວກັບຄວາມຮັກ ແລະ ການສູນເສຍຕະຫຼອດຊ່ວງຊີວິດທີ່ແສນສັ້ນຂອງລາວໃນຖານະທີ່ເປັນໝູ່ເພື່ອນອັນເປັນທີ່ຮັກ

Most of us don’t think twice about inanimate objects in our daily lives. This short film is an unusual storytelling of the physical and emotional ups and downs for Teddy Jay, a stuffed teddy bear who learns about love and loss through his short life span as a beloved companion.

Lee Phongsavanh holds a special place in his heart for Teddy Jay, his first ever film project, made at the tender age of 19. This is understandable when you see the simple production for such a symbolic story. Teddy Jay is a self-funded project. Lee purchased the teddy bear to be the main character and shot the film at his home in Vientiane, with his friends as background actors.

Motion of Life (ຈັງຫວະແຫ່ງຊີວິດ)
Directed by: Lee Phongsavanh (ກໍາກັບໂດຍ: ລີ້ ພົງສະຫວັນ)
Genres: documentary short  (ຮູບເງົາແນວ ສາລະຄະດີສັ້ນ)
Duration: 17:49 mins (ຄວາມຍາວ 17:49  ນາທີ)
Year: 2014 (ປີ 2014)

ຈັງຫວະແຫ່ງຊີວິດ ແມ່ນສາລະຄະດີລະຄອນສັ້ນທີ່ເລົ່າເຖີງການຕິດຕາມຊີວິດຂອງຊາຍໜູ່ມ ຜູ້ທີ່ມີພອນສະຫວັນສີ່ຄົນ ເມື່ອພວກເຂົາສະແດງຄວາມສາມາດດ້ານການກິລາຜ່ານກິລາພຣີຣັນນີ້ງ. ທ່ານຈະກັ້ນຫາຍໃຈໃນຂະນະທີ່ຮັບຊົມຈັງຫວະທີ່ ທີ-ບອຍ, ບອຍ, ກອຍ ແລະ ໂອເລັກ ທະບານຂຶ້ນໄປໃນອາກາດໂດຍທີ່ບໍ່ມີຜູ້ຊ່ວຍເຫຼືອ ແລະ ບໍ່ມີອຸປະກອນປ້ອງກັນໄພ, ດ້ວຍການເຄື່ອນໄຫວທີ່ເປັນທໍາມະຊາດທີ່ສຸດ, ມີຄວາມທ້າທາຍແຮງໂນ້ມຖ່ວງ ແລະ ເດັ້ງໄປມາໃນສະຖານທີ່ທາງປະຫວັດສາດຕ່າງໆ, ລວມເຖີງ ທີ່ນະຄອນຫຼວງວຽງຈັນ (ສວນວັດທະນະທໍາຊຽງຄວນ), ຫຼວງພະບາງ, ແລະ ຈໍາປາສັກ (ວັດພູ). ກິລາຟຣີຣັນນີ້ງ ແມ່ນເວີຊັນສິນລະປະການສະແດງຂອງການແລ່ນໃນສະຖານທີ່ຕ່າງໆ (parkour), ຊຶ່ງລວມເຖີງ ກິລາກາຍຍະກໍາ ແລະ ການສະແດງອອກດ້ວຍຕົວເອງ.

Motion of Life is a short documentary that follows four talented young men as they showcase their athletic abilities through the sport of freerunning. You’ll hold your breath as you watch T-Bom, Boy, Koy, and Oleq fly through the air, unassisted and without safety gear, in their most natural movements, defying gravity and bouncing around in various historic places including Vientiane (Buddha Park), Luang Prabang, and Champasak (Vat Phou). Freerunning is a performance art version of parkour that includes acrobatics and self-expression.

Motion of Life was funded by the Lao Filmmakers Fund, the first monetary award that Lee Phongsavanh was granted for a film project. The film was screened at the German Embassy in Vientiane and the ambassador was so impressed, it was submitted to the Berlinale Film Festival, where it was screened in 2016.

Filmmaker’s Profile: Lee Phongsavanh (1993)
Lee Phongsavanh is a self-taught writer, director, and producer of films. He was born in Vientiane Capital, the oldest of three children. His first love was dancing, and he competed internationally as a b-boy dancer. Lee is still breakdancing in his spare time. His interest in film was sparked by recording b-boy dancers and uploading those videos to YouTube, where he is still active.

After learning that there was a film festival in Laos, called the Vientianale, Lee wanted to enter the competition with a film of his own. He made Teddy Jay, and won first prize at the 2013 Vientianale Short Film Competition. That led to funding for his follow up project, Motion of Life. About his work, Lee says, “I love the process of filmmaking – from writing to production. I love it so much that it is easy to overcome the challenges. They become minor compared to what I am accomplishing.” In his films, Lee aspires to show how “Lao sees Lao.” He wants Laos to one day have its own style, “I want to see the day when people will recognize that a film is Lao and I want to be able to make a movie that is definitively Lao.”

Lee works primarily from his stylish, well-kept bedroom, as can be seen in his YouTube vlogs. His most recent project is his first feature film, The Signal (2023), which premiered at the Shanghai Film Festival where it was named among top 5 must see films.

Filmography:
2013 – Teddy Jay, director, writer
2014 – Motion of Life, director
2019 – Expiration Date, writer
2023 – The Signal, director, writer