“Joy” is an innovative short film that permeates conventional definition of artistic genres to lead the viewer to find answers for the fundamental questions of human condition, such as what is love, what is freedom, and what is art. “Joy” does not give the viewers a catechesis-like synapse to define these notions, but rather strives to start and mediate a conversation that would lead the viewers to search for and find their own answers.
The story plot of the film is inspired by a Seattle-based artist/curator Ramona Lee’s series “Western Ho”. “Joy” is filmed on location in the beautiful natural scenery of Lee’s native Montana, where wide open spaces provide the a backdrop for sequestering of a human in search of answer’s to the life’s most pertinent questions. The plot-line of “Joy” consists of a series of several performances that both tell a story of the protagonist, set in a most evocative setting, and also bring forth wider conversations as may be envisioned by the viewer through the lens of a filmmaker.
“Joy” has a hint of a first-person view film without being one, as the viewers are deeply immersed in the happenings and feelings on the screen, to the point that they don’t just commiserate with the protagonist but rather find parallels between what they see on the screen and their own lives, in effect adopting the plot as their own.
“Joy” is an enchanting piece that mesmerises its viewers with its stunning visuals and captivating audio, for it is as much a work of sound art as it is an on-screen masterpiece. Created by a collective of young Pacific Northwest artists, “Joy” is bold and daring, yet its themes are timeless, in an intentional exhibit of a classical duality of clash and metamorphosis of the temporal with the eternal.