Finding Joy tells the story of Lukas, a frustrated writer who feels trapped by the expectations of his ambitious wife Brita. Then he meets Joy, a Korean dance student, under strange circumstances and spends a wonderful night with her before they go their separate ways. Lukas tries to work on his relationship but can't quite shake the memory of his encounter with Joy and eventually decides to drop everything to go and look for her. He arrives in Seoul with no contact details for her, only the vague idea that he'll find her if it's meant to be.
Cinematography
Seoul's neon loneliness mirrors Lukas's hollow romanticism.
Acting
Zöllner's passive desperation is uncomfortably relatable.
Director
Neil Dowling
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Director Neil Dowling shot this guerrilla-style in Seoul with no permits, explaining the vérité energy.
The film deliberately leaves Joy underdeveloped—she's not a person to Lukas, she's an idea of salvation.
IE
US
