Joyland
Directed by Saim Sadiq

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LEO Weekly’s Tracy Heightchew reviews Joyland – Tracy Likes This This One: “Joyland” At The Speed And “Going Nowhere” On Demand | 4.27.23

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The debut feature from writer-director Saim Sadiq, Joyland explores the many sides of love and desire in a patriarchal society. Gentle and timid, Haider lives with his wife Mumtaz, 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, he is really 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. 

Winner of Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and Best International Film at the Independent Spirit Awards. 2022, Pakistan, DCP, in Urdu and Punjabi with English subtitles, 127 minutes. Recommended for 16+.