By: Maria Duarte
A traditional family in Lahore, Pakistan, is torn apart when the youngest son becomes infatuated with an ambitious transgender starlet in Saim Sadiq’s impressive debut feature. The film explores themes of sexual fluidity, love, desire, and rebellion within a repressed patriarchal society.
Haider, portrayed phenomenally by Ali Junejo, is unemployed and stays at home, cooking for the extended family of nine and looking after a handful of small children. His wife Mumtaz, played by Rasti Farooq, goes out to work at a beauty salon with his consent. They live with Haider’s wheelchair-bound father Abba, his older brother Saleem, and Saleem’s pregnant wife Nucchi, along with their three daughters. A nearby widow named Fayyaz is almost considered part of the family and shares a special bond with Abba. However, even their relationship is hindered by traditional gender roles.
Haider’s father and alpha male brother constantly mock his sensitivity and question his masculinity. Abba pressures Haider to provide the family with its first male heir. When Haider lands a job as a backup dancer at an erotic burlesque-style theatre, he develops a close relationship with Biba, the mesmerizing owner of the show, played by Alina Khan. Biba, a transgender woman, accepts Haider for who he is. However, as he works secretly—claiming to be the theatre manager—Mumtaz is forced to give up her job and become a housewife and mother. The household, which only values the male lineage, becomes suffocating for her.
Featuring the first transgender person in a leading role in a major Pakistani film, Sadiq’s stunningly honest yet bittersweet drama delves into toxic masculinity within Pakistan’s patriarchal society, where men and women are confined to strict roles. The film builds towards an uncompromisingly fateful conclusion.
In Pakistan, young transgender individuals often gather in a community collective under the guidance of a senior figure who protects and watches over them, directing certain aspects of their lives and careers. The film delves into this culture in depth.
Director Saim Sadiq described his film, saying, “I have lived with the story of Joyland for a very long time. Today, when I reflect, I realize that this entirely fictional yet emotionally autobiographical story came to my young adult mind as a gift. It became a means for me to explore my place as a young man who was never ‘man enough’ for a patriarchal society. As I grew up, the characters of Joyland grew with me, like the few teenage friends who stick around long after school is over. Their struggles with desire, tradition, masculinity, family, and freedom became my own. When I became too angry, they taught me empathy. When they became disillusioned, I cracked a joke or took them on a ride in an amusement park. Ultimately, their catharsis became mine.”
“Joyland is a de-romanticization of a coming-of-age tale and a tribute to all the women, men, and transgender individuals who bear the human cost of patriarchy. It is also a celebration of the desire that creates unlikely bonds and the love that immortalizes them. Ultimately, it is a heartbroken love letter to my homeland.”
Joyland won the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize and the Queer Palm at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, as well as Best International Film at the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards, along with numerous other accolades. It was Pakistan’s entry for the 2023 Oscars, despite facing editing and banning within Pakistan itself. The running time is 127 minutes, in Urdu and Punjabi, with English subtitles. It is currently playing in movie theatres in the United States and Canada. (IPA Service)
