The film “Teresa” is the uplifting look at the inspirational spirit of an eighteen year old girl who endures a life with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a debilitating disease that causes fragile bones.
SYNOPSIS
Teresa Nguyen thinks about the same things most girls do in high school: independence, boys, college, prom, but she is anything but your average teen. Teresa has a moderate form of Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a disease that causes brittle bones. However, this debilitating disease does not define her. In this half hour documentary, Teresa’s story will inspire and challenge you to view life from a completely new perspective.
SCREENINGS
Feel Good Film Festival, Estes Park Film Festival, Smogdance Film Festival, Kansas City Film Festival, FILManthropy Film Festival, National OI Conference
A graduate from the Academy of Art, San Francisco in Motion Picture/Television Direction, Matthew B. Bowler returned to his Denver roots in 2003, refreshed to bring his film/video experiences to an exciting and emerging Colorado market. Taking digital formats with both hands, Mr. Bowler recently created Myridian Productions, a Denver based video production company focused on renewing artistic expression through emerging technologies. “Teresa” marks his directorial debut with Myridian Productions.
Designing costumes, doing make-up and set design has been a passion of Mary Tennien since she was in elementary school. She was accepted into the Denver School of the Arts for Costume and Technical Theater/Stage Design. From there she expanded her abilities to make custom clothing, including three custom fit dresses for Teresa, one being her prom dress in the film. Wanting to be part of an artistic and open minded group where her creative abilities would be utilized, Mary joined the Myridian Productions crew.
As a performer and lover of the arts since the age of three, Cortni Mullin has worked in many mediums including theater, film, and television; acting and dancing her way to years of professional creative experience. Drawing from her time working in other cities, Cortni wanted to find a way to be a creative force in the Denver Market. In returning to Colorado, she started to explore a new role in producing and found a happy match with Myridian productions and her producing debut in “Teresa”.
Like most things, the seed for this film came from an unexpected circumstance. Julie Bowler, an associate producer with the film and also a seamstress, was contacted by a member of her old girl scout troupe she used to be the den mother of. This person had a friend who was a nurse, working with a young girl named Teresa who was having a difficult time finding a dress that properly fit her for an upcoming dance.
This girl was unique, very small in physical stature due to her moderate diagnosis of Osteo-Genesis Imperfecta (Brittle-Bone Disease), and in need of someone who could custom alter a dress she was looking at. Julie contacted Mary Tennien, another Associate Producer and also a seamstress, and they agreed to meet with Teresa, ultimately deciding to create a dress from scratch, tailored for her specific needs. This initial contact about a dress launched a natural evolution into this film.
Before meeting Teresa, we only knew a few details about her; she was caring, in special physical circumstances due to a disability, and was almost 18 and very much a teenage girl. Initially we thought of how we could raise awareness for OI and various foundations focusing on her ailment. However, after the first few minutes in speaking with her, we saw a beautiful and inspiring young woman much brighter and wiser than her years. Our focus shifted from her disability to her, as we discovered a wonderful human being dealing with life in her own way.
My intention with this film was to present Teresa and her experiences through her senior year of high school from an honest point of view. I felt that this was a pivotal point in Teresa’s life. The transitions, the high hopes, the fear and excitement of change, and the drive for independence, all added up to be the focus of our film and coincidentally the journey we had in making the film itself.
This film is not agenda driven or controversial. I always wanted the film to be in the humanist documentary vein; a category not obscure to American filmmaking, but increasingly rare. I wanted a structured snapshot in time chronicling a young woman's life and her outlook on it. The film’s true power is felt when viewers are able to pause and connect with Teresa’s experiences. I truly believe that the doc category will always have a home for the beautiful, poetic, and truly human story.
My wish is that viewers get a sense of what we felt during the filming and post processes. Feelings of hope, a drive for independence, and a love for life that can carry anyone through any hardship. I will forever be thankful to Teresa for bringing these things to the front of my heart.
Matthew B. Bowler
Director of “Teresa”
THE OI FOUNDATION
Our Mission
Research: Since 1970, the OI Foundation has doubled funding for research every five years, for a total investment of almost $3 million. Funding is available for postdoctoral fellowships to encourage new investigators to begin a career in OI research, and seed grants for preliminary research. All applications are reviewed by the Foundation's Scientific Review Committee, which includes many preeminent OI researchers and clinicians. Funding also supports the OI Registry and the Linked Clinical Research Centers. The potential for results in OI research is growing, with recent advances in gene therapy, a new diagnostic test, and drug therapies under study.
Education: The Foundation's principal education event is the Biennial National Conference on OI, which provides more than 570 people with medical, research, and coping information. For many, it's the first opportunity to meet others who are living with OI. In addition, the Foundation is continually developing new information resources in response to the needs of families, individuals, and professionals working with those affected by OI. Topics covered include schooling, pain management, psychosocial needs of the family, child abuse, fracture management, and osteoporosis.
Awareness: The Foundation strives to build public awareness and generate additional support among individuals, community organizations, public agencies, and medical professionals. Up-to-date information on OI-- from medical issues to daily living strategies-- is available via phone, Internet, fax, and mail. The Foundation also reaches out with print publications, press releases, DVDs, and the web site.
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