Known as a fast-rising producer with a focus on diversity, Nigerian-born Londoner Joy Galolo-Akpojotoor broke through with Rapman’s box office record-breaking musical crime drama Blue Story in 2019, and followed this up in 2021 with Amr Amin’s romantic comedy Boxing Day, the UK’s first all-black Christmas film.
Even though she has a number of projects in development through her Joi Productions banner, including “Animol.” Galolo-Akpojotlu, who marks the directorial debut of Emmy-nominated “Adolescence” star Ashley Walter, takes the director’s chair himself with “Dreamers,” which he also wrote.
The film, which first bowed in London and just had its UK premiere at the BFI London Film Festival, is a queer romance set in a British immigration center about two Nigerian asylum seekers who find love while battling the system and dreaming of a new life beyond confinement. Galolo-Akpojotlu himself has a deep personal connection to the Dreamers, as he said he sought asylum because of his sexuality. We Are Parable has also acquired the rights to the film, which will be released in UK and Irish cinemas on December 5th.
In an interview with Variety, the filmmaker talked about making the leap from producer to director, making films that are both commercial and ask “tough questions” of audiences, and her upcoming film, which she describes as a sort of London version of The Goonies, set in Hackney.
Where did “Dreamers” come from? Do you understand that there is a personal connection?
It’s loosely based on my own life. I was also an asylum seeker because of my sexuality. And for me, when I was going through that process, I remember at that time that you’re really stripping yourself of yourself. So I wanted to tell a story about real women and their relationships. And for me, it was my friends who really supported me. So I wanted to do something about that as well and highlight the ridiculousness of the system. The rules have changed now, but back then, when I was 25, you had to prove you were gay. So how do you prove you’re gay? What exactly does that mean or what does it look like?
It feels like every movie about immigration comes out at a particularly poignant time, but given what’s going on in America, the UK, and around the world right now, it couldn’t be more important.
I think now more than ever you’re right. Every time you watch the news in any way, it’s never about immigration itself. It’s about everyone. It’s about hatred towards them. It is for the government to create these rules and policies. This movie is about a woman who overcame it. This is her story about what happened to her. And we never talk about that part. It’s humanization, reminding people that immigrants are people too.
It’s easy for people to hate immigrants. Because when Trump says like they’re all criminals and they’re all rapists, you just think, oh, a big group of criminals came along and now they’re here and raping our women. It is a language used to group people together.
“Dreamers”
So, what made you want to direct “Dreamers” for the first time?
Because it’s very personal to me. It may sound cheesy, but I felt a real sense of purpose in telling this story. I think they’re all part of me, even if it’s a movie that I produce. I genuinely see myself in all those stories. And one of the reasons I started Joi Productions was because, selfishly, I wanted to see myself on screen. I want to see black lesbians, immigrants, and women. I want to meet someone who looks like me, someone who loves the same way I do, someone who has lived my life. I think there is a lack of diversity within diversity. In other words, there is a lack of breadth in how we tolerate diversity. Of course, I had made immigrant films before, but for me, this was a love story set in an immigrant center.
Now that you have made your directorial debut, do you have any plans to do anything else in the future?
Yes, there is one in particular. As a producer, I chose the book Ordinary People by Diana Evans. I really love books. So I actually wanted to direct this. So I gave it to Emily[Morgan, producer]. She read the book and was like, “Yeah, I’ll be in it.” So we’re doing it, but I’m not writing it. My name is Marissa Lestrade. But that will be my second feature. I also do queer romantic comedies. I was like, God, “Dreamers” was sad, we need to do something happy. Starring Aisha Hart, who also starred in “Dreamers,” the film tells the story of a small wedding between a Saudi family and a Nigerian family. The sisters must keep their wedding from falling apart, but fall in love during it.
So, do you keep your producer hat on or do you take it off now that you’re concentrating on directing?
No, I’m just trying to be a super achiever!
What do you have?
I’m working on Ashley Walters’ debut film, “Animol.” I locked the photo and it looks very beautiful. I think people will be pleasantly surprised when it comes out. And I think people are going to look at Ashley in a completely different light than his work as an actor. Honestly, it’s a very beautiful movie.
Is there a direct line connecting everything I create in Joi?
Originally, the company was predominantly black, queer, and female. But I will say that in every project we do, we always challenge our viewers. Certain social changes are occurring. So whether it’s “Dreamers” and immigrants, or “animols” that challenge the way we view youthful offenders. And then there’s another film that we’re working on about young black men and mental health. As a company, it’s about how we can make films that feel commercial, but that actually ask tough questions of the audience.
But we have a fun movie called “Back to the End,” which is like our version of “The Goonies.” There are four young teenagers whose property is about to be taken over, but one of them discovers that he has a treasure that his grandfather hid for his grandmother. There they embark on an epic journey through Hackney, pursued by dangerous men. It’s a funny, young movie, but again, it’s really about how we’ve let our communities slip away for money. And, as crazy as this may sound, there’s also a creature fear about worms that makes people racist. It’s based on a fairy tale, and the idea is that there are little bugs that get into pipes and water systems and prey on people’s hatred.
wonderful. It was sold. What stage are those movies at?
I’m talking to the director about Worms, and I’m currently writing The Goonies. But they’re all affiliated with the BFI or the BBC or someone else. So we’re very fortunate to have this kind of support from the industry. But like I said, all of our films have some kind of commercial aspect, but they all say something and do something. Our little Trojan horse!
