Joy, a drama about Nigerian migrant sex workers, from Austrian-Iranian director Sudabeh Morteza, won the top award at the 2019 BFI London Film Fest.
Joy, a raw feature about timely issues, laced with a feminist touch, was one of 10 films in the official competition lineup, half of which were directed or co-directed by women, including Mortezai.
The winning picture is a “vital, beautifully made film,” said Lenny Abrahamson, president of the competition jury. “’Joy’ is a provocative and unique film offering a devastating portrait of human resilience in the most inhuman of environments.”
