They also watched documentaries and podcast interviews that featured people in the system. “I think it’s beautiful and something to be celebrated”īarr said the team spoke with former foster kids, experts, social workers, foster parents and those with first-hand experiences in the system. This narrative amplifies the message of embracing individuality and following your own path in life.

Marquez wants to pursue art and Murad encourages her to achieve this goal, while Marquez also pushes Murad to strive for the independence they’ve craved. They embody intersectionality in a way that is relatable to diverse audiences.Īlthough they both share similarities of always moving homes and feeling misunderstood by adults, they still have their unique interests and experiences. Marquez and Murad’s friendship challenges the idea of what family and romantic relationships need to be.Īs characters with complex stories, they exist at a crossroads of marginalized identities. The main characters are inspired by stories collected from real-life foster kids and the team’s friendships growing up. The characters are queer, but it’s not blatantly mentioned every time they talk to each other.

While some films may have the character’s queer identity at the forefront, the Dandelion Green team uses it as just one factor in the narrative. “Just as their experiences in the foster care system do not define them, neither do their queer identities.” “We believe that it’s important that stories of queer characters go beyond the traditional coming-out narrative,” the team described on their Indiegogo page. Queer identity is just one of the many topics explored in this coming-of-age story. “Just as their experiences in the foster care system do not define them, neither do their queer identities” Having bonded over shared experiences in the foster care system, the two share a deep respect that enables them to care for each other in their platonic friendship. The two share moments of vulnerability and intimacy throughout the film, like when Marquez shares her aspiration of being an artist, Murad expressed their goal of living a life where they are in charge. The narrative follows the lives of Kay Murad (played by Liz Ariho), a non-binary teen about to turn 18 and age out of the foster care system and Olivia Marquez (Cian Boyd), a 16-year-old artist who often goes in and out of the system due to her mother’s mental illness. Kathleen Burgess serves as director and co-editor, Maria Barr as writer and co-editor, Olivia Solo as producer, Daniela Lasso-Neufeldt the director of photography and technical lead, Samantha McNulty as audio lead and Abigail Chevalier as the art director. The film showcases the bitter and realistic aspects of what it’s like to be in foster care, dealing with physical violence, caseworkers, the impact of being in and out of the system due to parental behaviours and much more.īut Dandelion Green doesn’t just show the negatives of growing up, it also embraces the value of finding friends who understand you and encourage you.īabyteeth Productions is made up of students who graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University’s media production program in 2022. If you’ve ever felt lost, don’t understand the five-year plan, or known the difficulties of creating meaningful friendships, Babyteeth Productions’ short film Dandelion Green will leave you feeling comforted and understood.

An eye for an eye film