JOYLAND is an Urdu and Punjabi-language Pakistani drama film written and directed by Saim Sadiq in his feature film directorial debut. It was the first Pakistani film to be shortlisted in the Best International Feature Film category at the 95th Academy Awards. It won the Jury Prize and Queer Palm Prize at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. JOYLAND is an achingly honest, luminous drama tackling gender and desire.
Synopsis: 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.
This screening is curated by Womxn in Windows.
Watch trailer here.
Post-screening conversation with:
Zehra Zehra, Founder of Womxn in Windows
Mohammed Ali Naqvi, Producer & Director
Sana Jafri, Co-Producer and Casting Director, Joyland
Nova, Actor, Model, and Social Media Manager, Womxn in Windows
