CINE@ART STUDENT “Call Out Little Bear” – Jiaye He, China, 2025, 8’22”

Synopsis: Little boy Yangyang, influenced by his father’s Buddhist practices, prays to his teddy bear doll every day, hoping to make his wishes come true. Whenever Yangyang is at a loss during his parents’ quarrels, he turns to the teddy bear for prayer. The teddy bear is also his emotional anchor and a tool for escaping reality. After a few wishes were fulfilled, he began to believe in the teddy bear, but in fact, his mother was the one who made the wishes come true. A neighbour kid has a dinosaur doll and teases Yangyang about his teddy bear. Yangyang asks the teddy bear for help, but there is no response, and he starts to feel disappointed in the teddy bear. When his father comes home and argues with his mother due to his career setbacks, he even becomes violent. In Yangyang’s eyes, his father turns into a dinosaur. Yangyang asks the teddy bear for help again, but there is still no response. However, at this moment, he makes up his mind to rush out and protect his mother. As Yangyang dashes out, he begins to glow, transforming into a big bear and conquers the dinosaur.

• Director: Jiaye He
• Writer: Jiaye He
• Key Cast: Le Chang