Joyland
Winner of Cannes’ Un Certain Regard Jury Prize, this romantic drama about a trans woman falling in love with a married man is a watershed moment for queer Pakistani cinema.
Haider and his wife Mumtaz buck patriarchal expectations, as Mumtaz acts as the sole breadwinner. When Haider’s father demands she quit her job to have a child, Haider takes up a job as a backup dancer for trans performer Biba (rising star Alina Khan). As Haider and Biba are drawn into a secret affair, Mumtaz must adjust to life as a stay-at-home wife, in this phenomenal film about rejecting the traditional gender expectations dictated by society.
Content warning: contains depictions of transphobia and homophobia, and suicide themes
- Queer Palm & Un Certain Regard Jury Prize, Cannes Film Festival 2022
- Best Feature Film, Queer Lisboa 2022
Presented with
“Sadiq’s debut impresses with its sensitive storytelling and vibrant visuals.”
— Variety
- Unclassified 18+
- 126
- 2022
- Narrative Feature
- Drama
- Pakistan
- Urdu Punjabi English Subtitles
About Joyland
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Community
Queer Transgender Women -
Director
Saim Sadiq -
Cast
Ali Junejo Alina Khan Rasti Farooq Sarwat Gilani Sohail Sameer Salman Peerzada Sania Saeed -
Producer
Apoorva Charan Sarmad Khoosat Lauren Mann -
Company Credits
Courtesy of: Madman Films -
Program Strand
Asia-Pacific Focus Narrative Feature -
Blurb Writer
Andrew Wilkie