Summer holidays as usual in the pretty seaside village of Dalkey, just outside Dublin. But twelve year old Chris’s life is changed by the appearance of a strange newcomer. Joe is an American boy, a little older than Chris: he has a shock of red hair, freckles, dresses all in red and rides a bright red bike with daring skill.

Chris and Joe become close friends – although his parents can see that there is something unusual about the boy. Indeed, we soon learn that Joe is really a girl, Joanne or ‘Miss Highrider’ the tightrope walker at the circus that is visiting town.

There she is kept in virtual slavery by her step-uncle and trainer Curt. The disguise is a way of escape for the poor girl; the trouble is, she’s now so drawn to Chris and his stable life that she doesn’t want to go back to real life.

As Curt’s violence towards Joanne becomes more frightening, she stops visiting Chris. Chris, terribly hurt and unable to believe that his friend would abandon him, resolves to find out what is going on.

The two of them are reunited one last time as they stay out over night in a cave on the beach; Joe confesses the truth and is trying to

say goodbye. But when a furious Curt drags her off in the morning, Chris must find the courage to stand up to the monster and rescue his friend.

My Friend Joe is a touching rites of passage movie about friendship and growing up. By turns exciting (with breathtaking bike stunts), funny, frightening and moving, this is a movie for all the family.

Running time
97 minutes

Starring
Schuyler Fisk
John Cleere,
Stephen McHattie
Stanley Townsend

Directed by Chris Bould.
A Gemini film, in association with Promedia, Westdeutscher Rundfunk and Portman, based on the novel ‘Janne, Min Van’ by Peter Pohl.

Winner of The Blue Bear
at the 1996 Berlin International Film Festival’s Kinderfilmfest