The London Film Festival took place on Saturday October 20th and “Joy”, a trafficking drama by director Sudabeh Mortezai’s won the “best film” award. Iranian-Austrian director Sudabeh Mortezai. who is also the director of Macondo, looks into sex trafficking across Europe in the film. Irish director and writer Lenny Abrahamson, who is also the president of the festival’s official competition jury, had this to say:
Joy is a provocative and unique film offering a devastating portrait of human resilience in the most inhuman of environments.
Sudabeh Mortezai recounts the life of struggling young women in this film. It is centered around the life of a Nigerian woman who faces difficulties and has to live off the street to survive. The young woman in focus, Joy, is living a life that is more or less joyless. Her emotions have also been stolen by her suffering. However, she remains sensitive to the world around her, especially when she is with her daughter. She is broken by the life she has, yet she doesn’t want any more girls to experience the same. She is therefore pushed to make a move to prevent that, as she gets in contact with the police concerning the illegal sex workers and the human traffickers.
Joy Winner Best Film Award
The drama “Joy” premiered at the Venice film festival in September where it was first found to be distinctive. It won the “Hearst Film Award” for female direction and the 2018 “Europa Cinemas Label” at the event. It was also one of the five films directed by women, among the 10 film lineup at the London Film Festival. Other award winners at the London Film Festival include:
- Lukas Dhont for “Girl”
- Charlie Lyne for “Lasting Marks”
- Roberto Minervini for “What You Gonna Do When The World’s On Fire”
The film festival jury based their selection on race, class, gender and sexuality, and the films that were selected were those that addressed these issues. Jury chief Lenny Abrahamson further added:
Joy is a raw, fresh view on sex trafficking with a sharp feminist perspective sewn in throughout. A vital, beautifully made film that my fellow jurors and I urge you to watch.