JOYLAND

Screenings

Friday, April 14 at 7:00PM

About the Film

WINNER! Best International Feature – 2023 Independent Spirit Awards
WINNER! Jury Prize – 2022 Cannes Film Festival

The debut feature from writer-director Saim Sadiq, JOYLAND explores the many sides of love and desire in a patriarchal society. Gentle and timid, Haider (Ali Junejo) lives with his wife Mumtaz (Rasti Farooq), his father, and his elder brother’s family in Lahore, Pakistan. Following a long spell of unemployment, Haider finally lands a job at a Bollywood-style burlesque, telling his family he is a theater manager, when in actuality, he is a backup dancer. The unusual position shakes up the steadfast traditional dynamics of his household and enables Haider to break out of his shell. As he acclimates to the new job, Haider becomes infatuated with the strong-willed trans woman Biba (Alina Khan) who runs the show—an unforeseen partnership that opens his eyes and ultimately his worldview, in ways both unexpected and intimate.

Rating: R
Genre: Narrative
Run Time: 127 mins
Filmmaker: Saim Sadiq
Language: Urdu with English Subtitles