Belindalee Hope, WIFT member and New Zealand producer, walked an arduous path to bring Joika, the new film based on the true story of Joy Womack, the first American to be accepted into the Russian Bolshoi Ballet, to screens, to be released in Aotearoa theaters 16 May. In the process of producing, she continuously went back to Joy’s story, reminding herself, “She didn’t give up, so I’m not going to.”
I had a real fire in me. I've been trying to produce my first film for several years, and for one reason or another, they haven't worked out. And when I read this script, I felt the affinity and the pull and the connection to the material and the director. James is an incredible director, he's a true filmmaker who has real talent for cinematic storytelling. And he wanted to use his skills to share her story with the world. After meeting her and being inspired by her, I felt the same way. There were a huge number of setbacks. And then I was like, okay, I am going to keep going back to the material when challenge after challenge after challenge is coming my way. Joy Womack didn't give up, so I damn well, I can't either.
This is New Zealand's very first Polish-New Zealand co-production, with “amazing Polish co-producer,” Klaudia Smieja. They shot entirely in Poland and did post production in New Zealand.
What was the biggest challenge in making this film? There were many challenges. When James and I got on the plane to go to Poland in November 2021, we couldn't get back into the country. We were getting on a plane to go and drag the film into existence. At that point there were still so many balls in the air to make the film happen. And second, if the film didn't happen, we were trapped out of our country! If we hadn't gone over there, the film wouldn't have happened. It took everything, not giving up and doing everything to pull it together and make it happen.
It was like COVID was stalking our film set. And that was just a challenge every single day. Our lead actress, Talia Ryder, arrived from New York to Poland and promptly got COVID. And that was when the Polish government had a mandatory 10 days stand down for COVID. She had a 14-day prep period, and ended up having two days prep. That was meant to be all rehearsals and dancing, but she was down and out with COVID for 10 days. There was one day on set we had 13 people go down with COVID. If we'd got shut down by COVID, the film would have never been done. The whole shoot was on the COVID tenterhooks. And then getting almost to the end of the show and going, oh my God, I think we're going to make it! And then Russia invaded Ukraine. The Polish know more than anyone what it's like to be invaded by Russia. It's quite fresh in their history. The minute we stopped shooting, almost the entire crew took everything from the set, the caterers, the unit people, the stunt people, the grips, the lighting, and went to the border to help the millions of Ukrainian refugees that just flooded in.
We'd bought Joy over who was living and dancing at a ballet company in Russia. We'd bought her out to choreograph the film. And so, she was suddenly an international refugee.
She left all her life and belongings and everything in Russia and had nowhere to go.
How was it having her on set as a choreographer? She's amazing. She's an incredible woman. She said her one wish for the film is that she hopes that people are inspired about finding what they love doing and do that! She's such a hard worker. We'd been talking to her for years about making the film and we went through so many trials and tribulations.
How did this all come about? James was represented by an American company called Anonymous Content and they had a few projects for James to read, and one of them was telling Joy's story. There was a script, but we never went with that script. When James met Joy, he was really inspired by her. And then he went to see her dance and he was really moved.
This was such a beautiful collaboration of filmmaking. Joy can't write a film, but she can live an incredible life and make bold and crazy choices and she can dance like an angel, but she can't make a film.
What was the budget? $US6.5m
How has the film done internationally? It premiered at closing night, at the prestigious Deauville Film Festival in France, with lots of reviews, celebrations and great critical success and reception. And then it had its US premiere at Palm Springs International Film Festival at the beginning of the year, and it was selected as one of the best of best at Palm Springs. And off the back of the Palm Springs festival, we picked up US distribution!
It’s about to be released in Aotearoa, what is an outcome you’d like to see? I would love to see, in our home country, a brilliant response, for people to go to see and support the film and enjoy it, and for it to get the same response of liking the film and being inspired and loving the film and loving that cinematic experience of going and seeing that film. The New Zealand box office for New Zealand films has not been that great this year. There's been quite low attendance for New Zealand films. We are just trying to get the word out there, working with the team here to try and get people to come and see the film in the cinema where it's meant to be seen.
It sounds like your journey to producing has been an uphill battle. Do you want to continue? I want to continue. I'm not easily daunted, I've learned a lot, and there's always more to learn. And every project is unique and has its own unique birth, and story and partners that you work with.
Any advice to like a young producer, what would you pass on? Have faith in yourself and just keep on pushing. There's always a way. There'll always be a way if you just keep pushing to find it. You bring a film into existence by dragging and pushing it and giving it everything to make it happen.
I am going to go see this film again. It really is a cinematic gem, with a powerful story, that is sure to both wow you and inpsire you. Joika, will be released in theatres on 16 May. It's a film made for the big screen.
- Interview by Nina Reed
Pictured from left to right, Joy Womack and Belindalee Hope