Svante loves rain.
It’s so cosy when it pat-pat-pats against the window.
Svante loves lots of things. He loves to draw. He loves the sound of August purring in the morning.
Svante loves baking cinnamon rolls with dad.
And he loves old, slow dogs.
But most of all, Svante loves Ted.
Ted on three.
Ted moved in during winter time.
Svante saw him through the window, his heart went BA-DUMP and his face felt warm.
Dad always talks to Ted’s mum. Sometimes Ted says hi to Svante too.
But Svante’s heart goes BA-DUMP and he can’t say a single word.
Svante might say hi, and Ted might not even hear him!
He might think it’s a little mouse.
Or the wind.
Or the door creaking.
“How was preschool today?”, Dad wonders at the dinner table.
Svante thinks and bites into his meatball. “I played house with Ines and Amani. They said they were in love and held hands.”
Svante’s face gets warm. “What does ‘in love’ mean?”, he asks quietly.
Dad thinks and gets a wrinkle between his brows, just like Svante gets when he thinks really hard.
“Maybe Ines and Amani played that they were in love, the way couples are”, Dad says. “But love can be lots of things!”
You can feel love for your family, like I love you.
You can feel love towards a friend.
And there’s romantic love, like how your Grandmummy loves your Granddaddy!
Your cat!
Every Saturday Svante and Dad go into town. They get some flowers for the kitchen. Svante gets to pick out a bag of sweets.
And they almost always end the day at the café. Dad usually gets a coffee and Svante looks at people. His favourite thing to do.
He sees Old Lady Juana with her dog Rufus. He sees a mum with her little baby.
He sees a young couple, holding hands. They lean in suddenly, and kiss! Svante’s heart flutters so hard that he needs a big scoop of ice cream to cool down.
When Svante and Dad get back home, they run into Ted and his Grandmummy.
“Hello there!”, says Ted’s Grandmummy happily.
“Hello!”, says Svante’s dad.
“Hi! I’m Ted!”, Svante suddenly hears. It’s the most beautiful voice he’s ever heard. Svante wants to say hi too. He wants to, so bad. But he can’t.
Svante can’t sleep that night.
He’s only thinking about Ted. His heart is beating so fast it feels like there are birds living in there.
At breakfast Svante has only had one small bite. “Are you thinking about Ted?”, Dad asks. Svante answers quietly, with a thinking wrinkle between his brows.
“I know I love Saturdays, because we have a whole day together just you and me. I love Ted too, but it’s not the same.When I see him my heart beats super fast and I can’t talk.”
“Being in love can be tough sometimes, Svante. It can make you feel all sorts of things. Like how you felt your first day of preschool?”
Svante remembers. His stomach was hurting a little and his heart was beating.
“But you did it, even though it felt scary“, Dad says warmly.
It’s the same with Ted! Sometimes you just have to be a little brave and things will be okay.”
A few days later Svante notices something outside. It’s a little black book, with stickers on it.
He knows that book!
He’s seen it thousands of times, tucked under Ted’s arm!
Ted must’ve dropped it. Does he know?
What if someone takes it?
What if a dog eats it?
What if it starts to rain?!
Svante runs down the stairs, two steps at a time.
When he reaches the book it has no scratches and very little dirt. Ted must have just dropped it.
Svante wonders what kind of drawings are inside. (He really wants to look, but Dad said you shouldn’t look through other people’s things without asking.)
Svante’s legs suddenly feel like jelly worms, arms like slime. His heart is pounding when he presses button 3 instead of 2.
The doors open...
...and Ted is there! Svante can’t say a word.
“No, wait!”, Svante shouts.
Svante looks at Ted, takes a deep breath and says: “Hello. My name is Svante. I found your book.”
Thank you to...
Matthew Forsythe, for your mentorship. Joe Kelly, Stephen Seagle, Cecil Castellucci, Joana Mosi and Mads Ellegård Skovbakke for your guidance and teaching.
To Peter Dyring-Olsen, for your guidance, excellent high-fives and support.
An extra loving thank you to Astrid María Stefánsdóttir, Dora Grents and Magnus Merklin for our fantastic work environment, sing-alongs, snacks, coffee and laughter.
Thank you to GS19, my friends at TAW, my family and my friends in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and England. I genuinely could not have done this without you.
Special thank you to:
“Hjälp! Vi har köpt en bondgård” on SVT, which kept me sane in the sketching part.
Baumgartner Restoration on youtube, whose asmr-like videos grounded me in my stress. Podcasts P3 dokumentär, P4 dokumentär and P3 historia from Sveriges Radio. Snedtänkt by Kalle Lind.
And of course the music.
40’s jazz and blues, Japanese 80’s new wave and Korean pop.
This is a Final Production from Graphic Storytelling, The Animation Workshop, VIA University College. 2023
Svante is 6 years old and lives on two with Dad. Svante loves lots of things. His cat, baking cinnamon buns with Dad and looking at people.
But most of all, Svante loves Ted. Ted on three.
