Joyland

Vibrant, often hilarious yet emotionally powerful, this Pakistani family drama that questions gender and sexual norms is set to capture the hearts of many.

In a conservative multigenerational Pakistani household, soft-spoken Haider is pressured to find a job and to produce a male heir. After he lands a role as a backup dancer at an erotic dance theatre, his wife Mumtaz reluctantly leaves a job she enjoys at the behest of the family’s patriarch to become a housewife. While Mumtaz struggles in the domestic sphere, Haider falls for his boss, a confident, charismatic transgender dancer (played by transgender actress Alina Khan).

Joyland is a sensitive and humanistic portrayal of repressive gender and sexual norms, told with an astute blend of vulnerability and humour. With this highly accomplished feature debut, Saim Sadiq signals a bright future for Pakistani cinema.