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The first Pakistani film to appear in competition at Cannes, and winner of the Queer Palme, Joyland is Saim Sadiq’s delirious and romantic debut feature film.
The Ranas are a typical Lahore family–all living together in a large townhome, a grumpy father watching over his two sons, their wives and three grandkids. The old man yearns for a grandson, as thus far his eldest son has produced three granddaughters. To his frustration, his youngest son, Haider, hasn’t had any kids with his wife, Mumtaz. To make matters worse for the very conservative grandfather, Mumtaz is the breadwinner while Haider stays home to watch his brother’s girls. But when Haider finally steps out and lands a gig as a backup dancer for a trans female star, Biba, and eventually falls in love with her, the Ranas are about to have their world shaken. Saim Sadiq’s delightful debut is a subtle and heartwarming tribute to true love in all of its forms. “Tartly funny and plungingly sad in equal measure, this is nuanced, humane queer filmmaking.” –Guy Lodge, Variety
Director Biography
Born in 1991 Saim Sadiq grew up in Rawalpindi and received his MFA in Screenwriting and Directing from the Columbia University School of the Arts. His short, “Darling” (2019), was screened at both the Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals. Joyland (2022) is his debut feature.