Tuesday, October 22, 2024
Year : 2, Issue: 8
Biographical drama “Joy”, which received its world premiere at the London Film Festival on Tuesday, depicts the decade-long efforts of three British medics and scientists to develop the technique of in vitro fertilisation (IVF).
The movie centres on the lesser-known story of nurse and embryologist Jean Purdy, played by Thomasin McKenzie, who joins physiologist Robert Edwards (James Norton) and gynaecologist Patrick Steptoe (Bill Nighy) on their quest to treat infertility.
The ups and downs of their trials and lab work are shown in detail and the film, which spans from the late 1960’s to the late 70’s, also delves into the toll the negative public perception of the venture took on their private lives.
“It’s a huge responsibility to tell Jean’s story and also just to tell the story of IVF because it’s had such a massive impact on the world,” McKenzie said of portraying Purdy, whose contributions went unrecognised for a long time.
Louise Joy Brown, the first human to be conceived by the trio’s procedure, who was born in 1978, also attended Tuesday’s premiere. “Joy” starts streaming on Netflix on Nov 22.
Source: Reuters
