Joy of Joys (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

Joy of Joys is a 38-minute documentary from Jonathan Glazer that follows the recording of War Child Records’ HELP(2) charity album at Abbey Road Studios. Filmed partly by London schoolchildren and children living in conflict zones, the short connects music-making with youthful curiosity and global humanitarian concerns.

Joy of Joys is a 2026 documentary short directed by Jonathan Glazer. Running 38 minutes, it follows the creation of HELP(2), a charity album recorded at London’s Abbey Road Studios for War Child Records.

The film gives children an active role in documenting the sessions. London schoolchildren receive digital cameras to film the recordings, while children in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine and Yemen also contribute camera footage, shaping a perspective described by Glazer and Mica Levi as “by children, for children.”

Joy of Joys movie details

Story without spoilers

The documentary goes behind the scenes of the recording of HELP(2), a 2026 charity album from War Child Records that supports children affected by conflict around the world. Its studio setting is Abbey Road Studios, while its point of view extends beyond the recording room through footage made by children in London and in war-torn regions.

Rather than presenting the album’s production solely through professional documentation, Joy of Joys places cameras in the hands of young participants and allows them to film the sessions in their own ways. The resulting short links the openness and imagination of childhood with the realities facing children in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine and Yemen.

What to expect

Joy of Joys is identified as both a documentary and a music film, with its subject rooted in the recording of a charity album. Viewers can expect a behind-the-scenes account of the HELP(2) sessions at Abbey Road Studios, alongside child-made footage from London and conflict-affected parts of the world.

Its concise 38-minute runtime suggests a focused film rather than a full-length music documentary. The supplied premise also points to an approach centered on children’s perspectives, creative participation and the humanitarian purpose behind the album.

Cast and creative team

Jonathan Glazer directs Joy of Joys. The on-screen contributors are listed as themselves: Damon Albarn, Grian Chatten, Jarvis Cocker, Tom Coll, Jamie Cook, Conor Curley, Conor Deegan III, Beth Gibbons, Matthew Helders and Carlos O'Connell. No writers are listed in the supplied credits.

• Damon Albarn as Self
• Grian Chatten as Self
• Jarvis Cocker as Self
• Tom Coll as Self
• Jamie Cook as Self
• Conor Curley as Self
• Conor Deegan III as Self
• Beth Gibbons as Self
• Matthew Helders as Self
• Carlos O'Connell as Self

Release and production context

Joy of Joys is a United Kingdom production from Academy Films and War Child Records. It is in English, has a reported runtime of 38 minutes and is dated September 30, 2026. The film is classified as a documentary and music short. Its central subject, HELP(2), is described as a 2026 charity album from War Child Records supporting children in conflict zones around the world.

Production companies: Academy Films, War Child Records

Joy of Joys official trailer

Watch the official trailer on YouTube

Movies Dock view

With its Abbey Road recording sessions, child-shot footage and connection to War Child’s charitable work, Joy of Joys takes a compact documentary approach to the making of HELP(2). Its defining feature is the decision to let children help record the story, both in London and in regions affected by conflict.

Film data:
TMDB · IMDb