Joyriders captures the powerful impact of grief on a young girl’s imagination.
In Dublin’s industrial wastelands, pre-teen Kylie drives around in a stolen car with a young companion who she has conjured from her troubled imagination. At home her younger brother loses himself in video games. Her grieving mother is distant and unaware of Kylie’s illegal escapades until a young Guard finds her alone at night in the car, apprehends her and brings her home. He is lenient in his caution as he acknowledges that the family has been through a difficult time.
Rebecca Daly’s film is a about a young girl trying to deal with a terrible loss. Though grounded in a bleak urban reality, the film is pleasingly enigmatic and infused with the magical possibility of connection with other worlds.
This is the debut film by director Rebecca Daly who would go on to make the features The Other Side of Sleep, Mammal and Good Favour. Rachel Lysaght also produced another short film in the F-Rated Collection, Home, as well as features including One Million Dubliners, Citizen Europe and Pure Grit.
Joyriders won many awards including Best First Irish Short at the Galway Film Fleadh and the IFTA for Best Short Film.
This film is part of F-Rated: Short Films by Irish Women. To view more from the collection click here. This film is also part of Children on Film. To see more from that collection, click here.
IFI recommendation: 12+
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