Joyce Chopra

Joyce Chopra (born October 27, 1936) is an American director and writer of feature films and television. Chopra graduated from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. Chopra was married to American stage and screenwriter Tom Cole until he died on February 23, 2009.

Joyce Chopra
Born (1936-10-27) October 27, 1936
New York City
EducationBrandeis University
OccupationFilm director, producer
Spouse(s)Tom Cole (deceased)

Life and career

Chopra was born in New York City to Judge Abraham and Tillie Kalina. A few months after her graduation from Brandeis, she and a partner opened a European-style coffee house near Harvard Square at 47 Mt Auburn St., quickly turning it into a music club (Club 47) where everyone from Joan Baez to Bob Dylan performed. The Club was the subject of the 2012 film For the Love of the Music, shown at the Boston International Film Festival.

Chopra's own film career began with documentary film making in 1963 and gained much recognition by feminist film scholars with her autobiographical documentary Joyce at 34 (1974).[1] The film stars Chopra and examines the effect her pregnancy had on her film making career. The documentary received the American Film Festival Blue Ribbon award. The film explores the issues surrounding women when pursuing the creation of a family while also creating a professional career.

Chopra transitioned into fiction film making around the mid-1980s after meeting and working with Tom Cole. One of their first collaborations was a PBS American Playhouse production Medal of Honor Rag[2] in 1982.

Her first narrative feature-length film, Smooth Talk (1985), was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Director and won the Grand Jury Prize at the 1985 Sundance Film Festival. The film is an adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates' 1966 short story, Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?, and was adapted by Tom Cole.

Her second feature-length film, The Lemon Sisters, was made in conjunction with producer and star Diane Keaton. The film explores the long-term female friendships between Eloise (Diane Keaton), Franki (Carol Kane) and Nola (Kathryn Grody). Since The Lemon Sisters, Chopra has turned to directing television, ranging from television dramas to made-for-TV movies.

In addition to directing her own films, Chopra is part of BYKids, a nonprofit pairing master filmmakers with youth from around the world to create short documentaries.[3] Her first mentee, 16-year-old Jayshree Janu Kharpade of India, created the film Fire in Our Hearts (2012), which was selected for the 2012 India International Film Festival of Tampa Bay.[4] Her most recent is My Beautiful Nicaragua, a 24-minute documentary about the devastating effects of climate change on coffee production in Nicaragua.

Awards
  • Smooth Talk: Grand Jury Prize at Sundance for Best Dramatic Feature (1985)[5]
  • Molly: An American Girl on the Homefront: Humanities Award
  • That Our Children Will Not Die: American Film Festival Blue Ribbon Award
  • Joyce at 34: American Film Festival Blue Ribbon Award
  • Martha Clarke Light & Dark: A Dancer's Journal: American Film Festival Blue Ribbon Award
  • Girls at Twelve: American Film Festival Blue Ribbon Award

Nominations

Themes

Much of Chopra's work treats the themes of sexuality and sensuality of women. These films often focus on the transitional periods in women's lives. Smooth Talk is concerned with puberty; Joyce at 34 focuses on pregnancy; and The Lemon Sisters centers around new loves, lifestyles, and new career choices. Her other works — mostly documentary — focus on youth.[8]

Filmography

Fiction:

Documentary:

  • A Happy Mother's Day (1963) co-directed with Richard Leacock
  • Joyce at 34 (1974)
  • Girls at 12 (1975)
  • Clorae & Albie (1976)
  • That Our Children Will Not Die (1978)
  • Martha Clarke, Light and Dark (1981)
  • Gramercy stories (2008)
  • Fire in Our Hearts (2012)

Made-for-TV movies:

TV series:

References
  1. "Joyce at 34". The Criterion Channel. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  2. Medal of Honor Rag, retrieved June 18, 2020
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 29, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 6, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "Movie Reviews". The New York Times. June 2020.
  6. "Movie Reviews". The New York Times. June 2020.
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 11, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 6, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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