Joybubbles
USA
DIRECTOR: Rachael Morrison
2015 / USA
(DOC) Joybubbles (né Joe Engressia, 1949-2007) was a curious genius with perfect pitch who broke the code of the international telephone system by whistling. Born blind, he found telephones to be great equalizers socially and became obsessed with learning how they worked. This childhood fascination launched a groundbreaking journey into the secret world of the 1960s–70s “phone phreaks”—the original hackers of the global telecom network. Through illustrative archival footage and audio conversations with our very honest and open subject, the film celebrates this charming visionary who redefined connection and challenges perceptions of disability.
Running Time—01:19:00
ARTIST'S BIO: Rachael Morrison is a documentary filmmaker and archival producer. Her short documentary, "Elvers," premiered at the 2019 Camden International Film Festival and is featured online as part of The Atlantic Selects. She has worked as an archival producer on documentary series and feature films for HBO, Hulu, Netflix, Paramount Plus, and FX. "Joybubbles" is her feature-length directorial debut.
2015 / USA
(DOC) Joybubbles (né Joe Engressia, 1949-2007) was a curious genius with perfect pitch who broke the code of the international telephone system by whistling. Born blind, he found telephones to be great equalizers socially and became obsessed with learning how they worked. This childhood fascination launched a groundbreaking journey into the secret world of the 1960s–70s “phone phreaks”—the original hackers of the global telecom network. Through illustrative archival footage and audio conversations with our very honest and open subject, the film celebrates this charming visionary who redefined connection and challenges perceptions of disability.
Running Time—01:19:00
ARTIST'S BIO: Rachael Morrison is a documentary filmmaker and archival producer. Her short documentary, "Elvers," premiered at the 2019 Camden International Film Festival and is featured online as part of The Atlantic Selects. She has worked as an archival producer on documentary series and feature films for HBO, Hulu, Netflix, Paramount Plus, and FX. "Joybubbles" is her feature-length directorial debut.
