Joy

Director: Cate Shortland
Year: 2000
Country: Australia
Running time: 10 mins
Australia
Screenplay: Cate Shortland
Production Co: AFTRS
Producer: Rachel Clements
Photography: Robert Humphreys
Editor: Yoon Chul Chung
Production Designer: Justine Seymour
Costume Designer: Wendy Cork
Sound: Serge Stanley, Chris McKeefe
Music: Kirke Godfrey

With:
Deborah Clay (Joy)
Tania Segura
Meg Evans (girlfriends)
Louis Westgarth
Ari Mattes
Matt Baker (boys)
Anthony Yee (security guard)
Barbara Gouskos (shop owner)
Peter Millynn (Joy’s dad)
Lucienne Joy (Joy’s mum)
Where I grew up shopping malls were the centre of the universe, glowing castles surrounded by miles and miles of suburban desolation. I still love shopping malls so was very excited about making a film set in one. Also I wanted to look at adolescent behaviour – sexuality and violence and the way adults condition kids; the way we influence them often makes them feel bad about themselves. I see Joy, the girl in the film, as an angel and the shopping mall as a type of heaven.

The problem is Joy has dirty wings and keeps tripping up and landing back down on earth. The film is influenced by the work of text-based artists Jenny Holzer and Barbara Kruger and by music videos and advertising. I wanted to make a film teenage girls would watch and enjoy. And one that would hopefully make mums and dads question what is coming out of their mouths and falling into such pretty young ears. — Cate Shortland