The Joy of Life
| Company type | Documentary film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Founder | Jenni Olson |
| Headquarters | San Francisco , United States |
Key people | Jenni Olson (director), Harry Dodge (narrator), Lawrence Ferlinghetti (poet) |
| Products | Documentary film |
The Joy of Life is an experimental landscape documentary film from 2005, directed by Jenni Olson. It investigates the history of suicide occurrences at the Golden Gate Bridge alongside the personal journey of a butch lesbian living in San Francisco, California. Following its debut at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2005, the film played a role in revitalizing discussions about implementing a suicide barrier on the bridge and was widely praised for its unique artistic approach.
Combining 16mm landscape footage with a poetic narration delivered by LA-based artist and actor Harry Dodge, the film weaves together two parallel stories: the Golden Gate Bridge as a notorious site for suicide and a lesbian’s quest for love and self-understanding within San Francisco.
The narrative is enriched by Lawrence Ferlinghetti's recitation of his San Francisco-themed poem "The Changing Light" and framed by musical selections from 1950s figure (and likely Golden Gate suicide victim) Weldon Kees. The work is dedicated to Mark Finch, who died by suicide at the bridge in 1995.
Reception and aftermath
The Joy of Life received multiple honors, such as the 2005 Marlon Riggs Award for bravery and vision in Bay Area cinema from the San Francisco Film Critics Circle, the 2005 Outstanding Artistic Achievement Award at Outfest, Los Angeles’ Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, and the 2005 Best US Narrative Screenplay Award at The New Festival, New York Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.
On January 14, 2005, director Jenni Olson authored an op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle, derived from her film’s script, urging for a suicide prevention barrier on the Golden Gate Bridge. Shortly thereafter, on January 19, the Chronicle disclosed that filmmaker Eric Steel had documented suicide attempts at the bridge throughout 2004 for his documentary The Bridge, which premiered in 2006. One week later, The Joy of Life debuted at Sundance, with video copies distributed to members of the Golden Gate Bridge District board, supported by the Psychiatric Foundation of Northern California.