We recently had the chance to connect with Joel Junior and have shared our conversation below.
Joel, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Starting a new show I wouldn’t expect to like, then realizing I have spent 5 hours in front of the TV. It makes me disconnect from the world and good art is extremely therapeutic to me, which makes me love what I do.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Joel Junior, a Brazilian filmmaker driven by stories that challenge systems and celebrate resilience. My work often explores the tension between control and freedom — themes that feel especially urgent in today’s world. I’ve built my path through independent, low-budget productions that have reached millions of viewers and earned hundreds of awards across international festivals, proving that powerful storytelling doesn’t depend on big studios, but on bold vision.
Through my production company, I focus on crafting films that blend social relevance with emotional depth, giving voice to characters who live on the margins yet reveal universal truths. My latest film, “The Visit,” has just been completed and is preparing to make its streaming debut — a deeply personal story that explores connection, loss, and redemption in unexpected ways. Meanwhile, I’m post-production of “Code E414,” a near-future political dystopian thriller about censorship and the power of knowledge — a reminder that even in the darkest systems, there’s always space for hope and rebellion.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
There was a moment when I realized I didn’t fit the patterns society had drawn for me — and that realization changed everything. I started questioning my morals, my sexuality, my beliefs, and everything I thought defined me. Meeting people from worlds so different from my own opened my eyes and helped me face my deepest fears – and biases for that matter. I was 26 when that transformation began — a painful but necessary rebirth that taught me how to rebuild my identity without losing the essence of who I am.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
So many. I think every artist goes through this once in a while. As human beings we are inclined to create expectations not only for us but for people around us, which can lead to great disappointments. There are also situations that are completely out of our control that makes us question our decisions and bring us down to a rabbit whole of self-doubt. But I learn that every accomplishment, as small as it seems, is something to celebrate, which keeps us motivated to continuing making art at our level best.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes, absolutely. The public version of me is real — it’s the part of me that creates, dreams, and believes in connection through storytelling. But is it everything there is to me? Not at all. Like any artist, I reveal fragments of who I am — the ones that carry purpose and truth — while the rest remains sacred, shared only with the people I love and trust. Those who’ve stood by me in moments of light and darkness know the unfiltered version, the one that doesn’t need applause to exist. I keep my private world private, not out of secrecy, but out of respect for the quiet spaces where my truest self lives.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
In the moment we are born we have this energy to live that is very limited. I realized I wasted so much of that energy caring about what others think, trying to please my religious beliefs, dictating how people should live their lives, basically trying to rob their free will given by God. I now understand that this limited energy should be spent on things that matter, starting by making myself today a better person than I was yesterday, with respect and understanding of the human behavior. I’m done wasting my energy trying to change people’s minds. I spend my energy on making my voice heard, which gives me a sense of accomplishment, what people will do with that message is their own business.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @joeljunior.official
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@joeljunior.official
Image Credits
Fernanda Salles
Ella Anderson
