Joyland

The screening will followed by a discussion led by Samhita Sunya, UVA Assistant Professor of Cinema in the Department of Middle Eastern & South Asian Languages & Cultures.

Winner of the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize and the Queer Palm | Cannes Film Festival, 2022

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 (Ali Junejo) lives with his wife Mumtaz (Rasti Farooq), 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 actually 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.

“Tartly funny and plungingly sad in equal measure” -Variety

“A soulful human drama intent on challenging narrow minds” – Screen International

This screening is part of our 2023 VAFF at Violet Crown series.

Thank you to our Media Partner for Joyland: