'Joyland' to release on November 18 in Pakistan

Director Saim Sadiq had always maintained that his film was meant to be watched by Pakistanis

After bagging several international awards, Saim Sadiq's Joyland will be released in Pakistan on November 18, the director confirm to The Express Tribune. The Federal and Provincial censor boards have given a green light to the award-winning film.

Sadiq had always maintained that Joyland was meant to be watched by Pakistanis but the question of whether it could, had remained a matter of debate. But Saim has assured there is nothing in his film that could irk censor boards.

 

 

 

 

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Reinstating that the film was always made to be viewed by Pakistanis – with the Cannes win being a cherry on top – he added, “I knew the intent was always to screen the film in Pakistan, this whole other thing of going to Cannes and stuff, that just happened. But I made the film to show it here.”

Joyland features a daring portrait of a transgender dancer in the Muslim country first made headlines when it won the Cannes Queer Palm prize for best LGBT, queer or feminist-themed movie. Sadiq's directorial, a tale of the sexual revolution, tells the story of the youngest son in a patriarchal family who is expected to produce a baby boy with his wife. He instead joins an erotic dance theatre and falls for the troupe's director, a trans woman.

It was the first-ever Pakistani competitive entry at the Cannes festival and also won the Jury Prize in the "Un Certain Regard" competition, a segment focusing on young, innovative cinema talent. "It's a very powerful film, that represents everything that we stand for," Queer Palm jury head, French director Catherine Corsini, told AFP earlier.

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