JOYLAND is a visually gorgeous and subversive family drama set in the bustling megacity of Lahore, Pakistan. Pressured to earn his own salary, soft-spoken house husband Haider is hired to perform in an erotic dance show. He’s attracted to the lead performer, an irrepressible trans woman named Alina Khan, and their relationship takes unpredictable turns.
This striking feature upends traditional gender roles and identities through a story of complex and imperfect expressions of love. JOYLAND is funny and deeply poignant, and written with such sensitivity by director Saim Sadiq that it leaves you thinking about the invisibility of desire long after you’ve left the theater. Celebrate this startling and groundbreaking film at the Festival!
“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
“Extraordinary… a revolutionary film.”– Hannah Bae, The San Francisco Chronicle
WINNER – Cannes Film Festival, Jury Prize and the Queer Palm Prize
WINNER – Independent Spirit Awards, Best International Film
SHORTLIST – 95th Academy Awards, Best International Feature
