Taste of Refuge
Teddy, a refugee who escaped the Eritrean/Ethiopian war, opens a restaurant in Copenhagen with the help of a Danish mentor, while forging an unlikely friendship in the process.
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Felisha Nicole PedersenDirector
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Felisha PedersenProducer
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Felisha PedersenCinematographer
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George ReichartComposer
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Tim ReisigRe-Recording Mixer
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Felisha PedersenSound Recordist
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Felisha Nicole PedersenEditor
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Project Type:Documentary, Short
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Runtime:12 minutes 23 seconds
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Completion Date:January 31, 2022
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Production Budget:4,000 USD
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Country of Origin:Denmark
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Country of Filming:Denmark
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:2.00: 1
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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Imagine This Women's Film FestivalNew York
United States
September 24, 2022
North American Premiere
Best Documentary International Short
After graduating from the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, writer/director/cinematographer Felisha Nicole Grice Pedersen started out working on projects such as the J.J. Abrams Star Trek, The Help, and Desperate Housewives. Soon after, she became an Assistant Director and joined the Directors Guild of America. She is currently an American expat in Denmark and as of July 2023 chose to go on honorable withdrawal status with the DGA.
This film is just a little passion project that wanted to make on my own time. I love to eat and came across Teddy’s story while searching for African food in Denmark (which is like searching for a unicorn). When I found out he was a refugee with his own restaurant, I knew I had to tell his story. In our current political climate across the globe and where there are more than 84 million forcibly displaced people seeking refuge, it’s important for people to see stories about refugees with drive and whose purpose is to work and contribute. I didn’t want to put too much focus on Teddy's struggle as a refugee, since we all know it’s hard and nearly every film about refugees focuses only on the struggle. My focus is on his work ethic and how with the help of the right person / people in the community, he was able to triumph and build a nice life in a new land. Hopefully this film will encourage people to volunteer to mentor/help refugees in their own communities, and encourage refugees to seek help with their ambitions.