Dreams of a Life is a 2011 British documentary film by director Carol Morley.
It tells the story of a 38-year-old woman named Joyce Carol Vincent
(portrayed by Zawe Ashton), who died alone in her London flat in 2003. Despite having plenty of friends and family, somehow, her body remained undiscovered for three years. It was found next to a shopping bag and surrounded by wrapped Christmas presents that were undelivered. Due to the advanced state of decomposition, Joyce's cause of death was never determined.
Morley was inspired to make the documentary after reading a newspaper article that presented the facts of the case but lacked details as to who Joyce was. Tracking down interviewees to learn more about the woman behind the headline, Morley was surprised to find that many of them didn't even know Joyce was dead until they were informed by her. Having lost touch with her, they just assumed she "was off somewhere having a better life than they were".
The documentary raises the unnerving possibility that anyone could find themselves in a situation where they might die alone and unnoticed as Joyce did.
See also Hand. Cannot. Erase., a Progressive Rock album inspired by Joyce's life.
Tropes:
- Book on the Head: Young Joyce is seen walking and reciting while balancing a book on her head, as someone talks about how her mother sent her to elocution lessons to appear more upper-class.
- Cobweb of Disuse: The opening includes shots of Joyce's abandoned, dirty apartment with her things covered in layers of cobwebs.
- Domestic Abuse: It is believed that Joyce was in hiding from an abusive boyfriend at the time of her death.
- Downer Ending: The documentary ends with a recreation of the night of Joyce's death. Though it has shed some light on who she was and how she may have come to die in the lonely way she did, there are plenty of questions left that in all likelihood will never be answered.
- Dying Alone: Joyce did, and what's worse was that no one discovered that she had for three years.
- Exhausted Eye Bags: Joyce is seen with heavy shadows under her eyes, as a visual indicator of how troubled her life was.
- Finally Found the Body: Three years after her passing, police broke into Joyce's flat to repossess it, only to find her skeletal remains.
- Giftedly Bad: Though Joyce had aspirations of becoming a singer, according to a former boyfriend named Alistair (who was a music producer), she wasn't very good at it. However, others who knew her disagree, believing she had a beautiful voice and likening it to that of Whitney Houston.
- The Hermit: Joyce was apparently alone by choice. According to her ex-boyfriend Alistair, "Joyce died alone because she wanted to be alone."
- I Coulda Been a Contender!: Joyce was a beautiful and ambitious woman who dreamed of becoming a singer and wanted to go places, and even met famous people like Nelson Mandela and Stevie Wonder. The thing she would became most famous for was dying alone in her apartment and not being found for three years.
- Missing Mom: Joyce's mother died when she was 11, which is believed to have contributed to her troubled state.
- Nothing Is Scarier: Although there is a reenactment of the police breaking into Joyce's apartment only to discover her skeletal remains, they are never directly shown, presumably out of respect for her. But during the scenes of workers cleaning her apartment, there is a big, human-sized and -shaped stain on the floor.
- Promotion to Parent: After Joyce's mother died in her childhood, her older sisters took charge of raising her.
- Riddle for the Ages:
- Because Joyce was so reclusive, there are a lot of questions about her life that will probably never be answered, like why she cut herself off from everyone, and who she was wrapping Christmas presents for when she died.
- The cause of Joyce's death will forever remain a mystery, due to how badly decomposed her body was when it was finally found, although it is believed that she may have died from complications relating to asthma or a peptic ulcer.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Joyce is described as a person who would habitually flee at the first sign of trouble and frequently moved from apartment to apartment, which probably made it harder for her loved ones to find her.
- The Shut-In: Joyce became this in the final years of her life, separating herself from friends and family.
- Snowy Screen of Death: On the end title card, the title of the documentary is in block capitals and filled with a static effect. Joyce had her TV on at the time of her death, and it continued playing for the next three years to an empty apartment.
- Surprisingly Sudden Death: As far as anyone knows, Joyce suddenly died alone in her apartment one day while she was wrapping Christmas presents. The documentary ends with a reenactment of her death where she simply lies down and apparently dies in her sleep.
- Used to Be More Social: In the last years of her life, Joyce isolated herself from those who knew her. It is speculated that this may have been because she felt ashamed due to having had to move into a shelter for victims of domestic abuse.
