Joyland

Pakistan/2022—directed by Saim Sadiq | 127 min.

A film of groundbreaking firsts, including the first Pakistani film to play at the Cannes Film Festival and to be shortlisted for the Best International Feature Oscar®. Initially banned in its home country for its LGBTQ+ themes, Joyland is a family drama set in the bustling megacity of Lahore.

Haider, a soft-spoken husband, is pressured by his domineering father to find a job. He finds work as a dancer in an erotic theater and is drawn to the show’s dazzling star, a trans woman (played by Alina Khan). This striking feature debut upends traditional gender roles and identities through an engaging story of complex and imperfect expressions of love.

Official selection, Toronto, London, Sundance and AFI Film Festivals. Jury Prize Winner and Queer Palm Award, Cannes Film Festival. In Urdu and Punjabi with English subtitles.

“Funny, forward, and bracingly political… Pakistani director Saim Sadiq’s sensuous film mounts an indictment of misogyny and transphobia without ever lecturing us.” — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker