Joy (2018 film)

Joy
Directed bySudabeh Mortezai
Written bySudabeh Mortezai
StarringAnwulika Alphonsus
Mariam Sanusi
Angela Ekeleme
Distributed byNetflix
Release dates
  • September 3, 2018 (2018-09-03) (Venice Film Festival)
  • January 18, 2019 (2019-01-18)
Running time
109 minutes
CountryAustria
LanguagesEnglish
German
Nigerian Pidgin

Joy is a 2018 Austrian drama film directed and written by Sudabeh Mortezai. The plot revolves around Joy (Anwulika Alphonsus), a young Nigerian woman who walks the streets to pay off debts while also supporting her family in Nigeria and her daughter in Vienna.[1]

It was selected as the Austrian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards.[2][3] However, the film was disqualified in November 2019, with the Academy stating that the film had too much dialogue in English.[4] The filmmakers disputed the disqualification, arguing that when the parts of the dialogue in Nigerian Pidgin that are unintelligible to English speakers are counted separately from English, English constitutes less than 50% of the entire dialogue and thus the film should be eligible,[5] but the Academy stood by its initial decision.[6]

  1. ^ "Streaming: Netflix's ode to Joy". The Guardian. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  2. ^ "Joy von Sudabeh Mortezai geht ins Rennen um den Auslandsoscar". WKO News. Archived from the original on 4 September 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  3. ^ Roxborough, Scott (4 September 2019). "Oscars: Austria Picks 'Joy' for International Film Category". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  4. ^ "Austria's Oscar Entry, Joy, Disqualified for Having Too Much Dialogue in English". Variety. 11 November 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  5. ^ Rosser, Michael (15 November 2019). "'Joy' filmmakers dispute international feature film Oscar disqualification". Screen Daily. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  6. ^ Thompson, Anne (15 November 2019). "Austria Protests the Academy's Math on Disqualified International Oscar Entry 'Joy'". IndieWire. Retrieved 15 November 2019.