Pakistani movie ‘Joyland’, which received an award for Best International Film at the 38th Independent Spirit Awards earlier this month, had a screening in India last night.
The Saim Sadiq directional was screened in New Delhi at the Habitat Film Festival, which caters to award-winning and critically acclaimed cinema from across the globe.
According to an Indian analyst, the screening of Joyland in Delhi was magical. She described in a tweet how people waited in lines for a Pakistani film and some even sat on the floors in awe, clapping and crying in unison.
Last night’s screening of Joyland in Delhi was magical. People waiting in lines for a Pakistani film that so lyrically talks about patriarchy and the loneliness it breeds. People sitting on floors in awe, clapping and crying in unison. Through grief and borders, art finds a way. pic.twitter.com/pLfTuLOHnO
— Shruti Sonal (@shrutisonal26) March 26, 2023
For her, through grief and borders, art finds a way. According to her, Joyland is fantastic, heartbreaking, and beautifully made.
The Oscar-shortlisted movie explores transgender issues in Pakistan. The movie tells the tale of a man who was raised in a traditional, patriarchal family and who eventually falls in love with a transgender dancer he met in an erotic dance theatre.
Read more: Joyland wins Best International Film at Spirit Awards 2023
The film stars Ali Junejo, Rasti Farooq, Alina Khan, Sarwat Gilani, and Salmaan Peerzada. Directed by Saim Sadiq, Joyland has so far won numerous international awards.
Joyland which was set to premiere in Pakistan in September 2022, was suddenly banned by the government just before its release due to online complaints over containing ‘highly objectionable material’. However, the movie was cleared for screening after cutting some scenes.
Apart from controversies, Joyland became the first Pakistani film to premiere at Cannes Film Festival and it received a standing ovation after its screening, and also won Jury Prize and Queer Palm prize for best LGBTQ, queer, or feminist theme movie at the festival. The movie became the first Pakistani film to be short-listed for Best International Feature Film at Oscars 2023.
