Joyland

A conservative family in Pakistan is torn apart when a son falls in love with a transgender erotic dancer, in Saim Sadiq’s riveting queer drama.

Haider (Ali Junejo) is an unemployed married man living in Lahore. Pressured by his fiercely patriarchal father into finding work, he takes a job in an erotic dance theatre, where he encounters Biba (Alina Khan), a dazzling transgender performer.

Sadiq’s drama skilfully details the corrosive nature of patriarchy in all aspects of traditional family life, from sons, daughters and wives, and the roles they are expected to play. The result is a distinctive and vibrant visual feast and a deeply moving drama of gender expectations and taboos. Joyland was the Pakistani entry for Best International Feature Film at the 2023 Academy Awards, and winner at both Cannes and the BFI London Film Festival.