The American Movie Details:
| Also known as | Joika |
| Country | New Zealand Poland |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Biography, Drama |
| Release date | 2023 Deauville American Film Festival (premiere) 2024 Palm Springs International Film Festival 2024 Santa Barbara International Film Festival May 16, 2024 (New Zealand) |
| Running time | 1hr 50min |
| Starring | Diane Kruger Talia Ryder Tomasz Kot |
| Directed by | James Napier Robertson |
| Screenplay by | James Napier Robertson |
| Produced by | Paul Green Tom Hern Belindalee Hope Paula Munoz Vega |
| Cinematography by | Tomasz Naumiuk |
| Edited by | Chris Plummer Martin Brinker |
| Music by | Dana Lund |
| Production Company | Ingenious Media RBF Productions New Zealand Film Commission Polish Film Institute Department of Post Moderator Inwestycje Group |
The American Movie Cast & Characters:
- Talia Ryder as Joy Womack
- Diane Kruger as Tatiyana Volkova
- Oleg Ivenko as Nikolay Lebedev
- Natasha Alderslade as Eleanor Womack
- Natalia Osipova as Natalia Osipova
- Charlotte Ubben as Diana Ava Maria
- Borys Szyc as Andrei Vadys
- Tomasz Kot as Vitaliy Ivanov
- Karolina Gruszka as Valeriya Lebedev
- Martin Hugh Henley as Clay Womack
- Artur Shesterikov as Mikhail Martynyuk
- Erica Horwood as Natasha
- Tamila Dudnik as Katya
- Leonie Hansen as Ksenia
- Martyna Wrzesinska as Nadia
- Weronika Juchimiuk as Alyona
- Julia Bielska as Diana
- Zuzanna Burak as Daria
- Zuzanna Rutkowska as Olga
- Marta Makurat as Polina
- Mariiia Nechosa as Sofia
- Danila Marzilli as Anya
- Izabella Grzyberk as Kira
- Dominik Mironiuk as Popov
- Dariusz Majchrzak as Men’s Class Teacher
- Anita Poddebniak as Academy Nurse
- Bartosz Jakubowski as Academy Pianist
- Chinara Alizade as Anastasia, Bolshoi Prima
- Andrzej Klak as Bolshoi Choreographer
- Wojciech Urbanski as Bolshoi Choreographer
- Edyta Torhan as Bolshoi Attendant
- Kamil Studnicki as Fedor
Storyline:
A fifteen-year old aspiring American ballerina leaves her Texan family home and is thrust into the world of Russian ballet as one of the very few Americans to ever be accepted into the Moscow Bolshoi Academy. Under legendary teacher Tatiyana Volkova, Joy Womack trains with the goal of becoming a Prima Ballerina at the Bolshoi Company. But, behind the beauty of dance is a world of pain and brutal competitiveness, and Joy is forced to push her body, her mind and her choices further than she ever thought possible. Finding unlikely support from Volkova, she risks her health, relationships and potentially her life in her journey to determine what it means to be great.
About The American Movie:
The American (Joika) is a New Zealand–Polish drama about American ballerina Joy Womack training at the prestigious Moscow Bolshoi Theatre. It was written by James Napier Robertson and stars Diane Kruger and Talia Ryder.
Filming began in Poland in February 2022 and finished in Warsaw a few hours before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The film first premiered at the 2023 Deauville American Film Festival. It was also screened at the 2024 Palm Springs International Film Festival and the 2024 Santa Barbara International Film Festival between 15–16 February 2024.
