“Joybubbles” — dir. Rachael J. Morrison | 79’ | (film)

Before Hackers Sat Down at Computers

Phone phreakers manipulated technology to outsmart the system and make long-distance telephone calls for free. In doing so, they created a kind of proto-hacker subculture. It is no coincidence that the film features young Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak experimenting with a blue box, a device designed to imitate the tones used by the telephone network.

Joybubbles did not need a device. He had perfect pitch and could whistle at exactly 2600 Hz, allowing him to take control of the network.

For him, however, it was never simply about making free phone calls. Having experienced the world primarily through sound since childhood, he used sound as a way of connecting with others. He also created his own telephone lines, which people could call to listen to his stories. In one interview, Rachael J. Morrison describes him as a precursor to today’s podcasters — someone who turned the telephone into his own radio station.

The Person on the Other End of the Line

Joybubbles also speaks for himself in the film. The director received tapes on which he recounts his entire life. Cynthia, a woman who also appears on screen, recorded his story with the intention of writing a book. The book was never completed, but the tapes survived.

They were joined by recordings of his public appearances, materials found by family members, and conversations with his friends and loved ones. From this wealth of material, Rachael J. Morrison created a documentary that, while addressing difficult subjects — disability, trauma and isolation — remains full of warmth and hope.

Joybubbles is the story of a man who, in the filmmaker’s own words, “didn’t hack the system; he hacked his life.”

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Tickets for individual screenings are available at the box office of the Municipal Cultural Centre (Miejskie Centrum Kultury),
12 Marcinkowskiego St., Bydgoszcz

Festival pass for the entire FONOMO festival