Joy

Joy has never known her biological mother. She was abandoned as a baby and grew up in several orphanages. This experience weighs heavily on her and she suffers greatly because she has no family roots. What she needs in her life is an anchor. Her boyfriend Moumou tries his best to understand her but, in the end, Joy’s deep-seated needs and problems are beyond him. Moumou comes from a large Serbian family and this makes it hard for him to comprehend Joy’s sense of loneliness. Joy, however, is convinced: she will only be happy once she and her biological mother are reunited.
When Joy’s best friend Denise falls pregnant, Joy’s idea becomes an obsession. She refuses to let up and actually manages to obtain her mother’s address. She takes a bus way out to the suburbs, finds her mother’s house and lies in wait. But when she sees the female stranger with a child she can’t bring herself to approach her. She makes a second attempt shortly afterwards and even follows the woman and her child. How far will she go next time round?
by Mijke de Jong
with Samira Maas, Dragan Bakema, Coosje Smid
Netherlands 2010 76’

World sales

Bavaria Film International

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