Joyland
Starts Friday, May 19
“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
CO-PRESENTED BY 3rd i FILMS
and Parivar Bay Area
A film of groundbreaking firsts — 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 visually radiant, subversive family drama set in the bustling megacity of Lahore. Pressured to earn his own salary, soft-spoken house husband Haider is hired to dance in an erotic show — something he’s at pains to hide from his nosy family. He’s drawn to the show’s star, an irrepressible trans woman (Alina Khan, in a tour-de-force performance); their relationship predictably takes unpredictable turns. This striking feature debut upends traditional gender roles and identities through a story of complex and imperfect expressions of love. “Treads dangerous ground with confidence and compassion” – Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire
Written And Directed By Saim Sadiq. Starring: Ali Junejo, Rasti Farooq, Alina Khan, Sarwat Gilani, Sohail Sameer, Salmaan Peerzada, and Sania Saeed.
WINNER! Best International Film – Independent Spirit Awards, 2023
WINNER! Cannes: Un Certain Regard Jury Prize & The Queer Palm
“Extraordinary… JOYLAND is a revolutionary film… a love letter to a place and people Saim Sadiq knows intimately, and I hope to see much more of his work soon.” – Hannah Bae, SF Chronicle
