Short film warns youth of the impact of negative lifestyle choices
Newly released and available to stream via Million Youth Media on YouTube, JOY is an emotive short film following the struggles of a single Nigerian mother (played by Jolade Obsasola) as she raises her young son (Reece Badziokila) in inner city London and tries to steer him away from the lure of life of on the streets. Reflecting on how the streets often claim young men for themselves, only to spit them out in the form of prison, death and trauma, the film warns youngsters of the devastating effect their negative life choices can have on those that love them most. Whilst most young men are unwillingly inveigled into a life of crime, how does this affect the ones called to care for them? African woman are often depicted as strong, proud, independent and rigid characters, yet in shining a light on the toll taken on those we perceive as strongest, JOY aims to deter youngsters from pursuing this perilous path.
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JOY is directed by the award-winning Sheila Nortley (Night Shift, A Life Lesson), and written by actor Percelle Ascott (The Innocents, Tin Star, Dr Who) and Igor Mongulu in collaboration with Key4Life, a charity which rehabilitates young men in prison or at risk of going to prison, and children caught up in knife crime. Commissioned with the support of Universal Music UK and produced by Wall of Productions, the co-producers behind viral smash hit Shiro’s Story, the launch of JOY also celebrates Key4Life’s 8th birthday. Co-producer and co-writer Igor Mongulu who makes his feature film debut with JOY bringing his personal experience of working with young people and youth offenders to this project, says: “The gang/hood story is one we’ve become all too well accustomed to from film, TV and exposés on the rise of knife crime - the truth of the ‘ends’ is no longer a far unknown world but a stark reality that runs parallel to our daily lives. We see the shocking figures of predominantly young black men stabbed to death in the capital, but a perspective that is seldom shone a light on is how this affects those often closest to them, their mothers.”
