Experiencing Interruptions?

My Name Is Joy

Joy, a 20-year-old girl from Mozambique, is sold by her father and drawn into a human trafficking network. After being rescued, she is placed in a shelter in a small Polish town, where, for the first time, she is given a chance to live rather than merely survive, and to begin reclaiming her voice and sense of identity.

  • Alexandra Strunin
    Director
  • Alexandra Strunin
    Writer
  • Maciej Ślesicki
    Producer
  • Chelsea Alfinete
    Key Cast
    "Joy"
  • Andrzej Nejman
    Key Cast
    "a man"
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Drama, Fiction
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 3 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 15, 2026
  • Country of Origin:
    Poland
  • Country of Filming:
    Poland
  • Language:
    English, Polish
  • Shooting Format:
    digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:35
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Warsaw Film School
  • Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival 2026

    United States
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Alexandra Strunin

Alexandra Strunin is a director and audiovisual artist. She graduated in Photography from the University of the Arts in Poznań, and treats film as a natural extension of her work with image, rhythm, and emotion. She is currently a third-year Directing student at Warsaw Film School.

Her short fiction debut, "I Gaze at the Sky" (2025), is set against the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and explores the mechanisms of propaganda and systemic violence. The film achieved significant festival success, screening in the official selection of the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia and at over 20 festivals worldwide. It earned multiple accolades, including the Grand Prize at the March On Festival in Washington, the main award at the Demakijaż Women's Art Festival, and the main award at the Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival.

Strunin's work consistently focuses on themes of identity, power, and influence. She also leads her own jazz band and is currently developing her feature-length debut.

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Director Statement

"My Name Is Joy" was inspired by a real story that stayed with me and would not let go. I am drawn to social themes not as "topics," but as lived experiences - things that touch me and the people close to me. In my films, I return to what hurts, to the places where the world fails someone, and to the quiet work it takes to keep going anyway.

With Joy's story, I wanted to focus on what happens after the rescue. Being free does not mean being safe, and starting over in a new country can bring an entirely different kind of hardship.

To ensure absolute authenticity and respect for the survivors, the entire film and its script were developed in close consultation with the La Strada Foundation (Foundation Against Human Trafficking). This film is my way of telling this story honestly, responsibly, and with profound care.