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Joyland is a 2022 Pakistani Urdu-language drama film written and directed by Saim Sadiq in his directorial debut feature film. The film starring Ali Junejo, Rasti Farooq, Alina Khan, and Sarwat Gilani centers on the extended patriarchal Ranas family, who yearn for the birth of another boy.[1]

Joyland
Release poster featuring a painting by Salman Toor
Directed by	Saim Sadiq
Written by	Saim Sadiq Maggie Briggs
Produced by	Apoorva Guru Charan Sarmad Sultan Khoosat Lauren Mann
Cinematography	Joe Saade
Edited by	Saim Sadiq Jasmin Tenucci
Music by	Abdullah Siddiqui
Production companies	All Caps Khoosat Films Diversity Hire Ltd. One Two Twenty Entertainment Blood Moon Creative NNB Digital Media Film Manufacturers Inc. Astrakan AB Noruz Films
Distributed by	Film Constellation
Release date	May 23, 2022 (2022-05-23) (Cannes)
Running time	126 minutes
Country	Pakistan
Language	Urdu

It had its world premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival on May 23, 2022, in Un Certain Regard, where it competed for the Caméra d'Or.[2] Joyland is the first Pakistani film to premiere at Cannes Film Festival and it received standing ovation after its screening,[3] and also won Jury Prize[4] and Queer Palm awards at the festival.[5]

Premise

Joyland is a fictional story set in Lahore about a middle-class family in which a wheelchair-bound yet severe patriarch rules over his two sons and daughters-in-law. He wants his kids to give him grandchildren, but all changes when his younger son, Haider, falls in love with Biba, a transgender dancer played by Alina Khan, while working as a background dancer for her.

Cast

• Rasti Farooq as Mumtaz
• Alina Khan as Biba[6]
• Sarwat Gilani as Nucchi[7]
• Salmaan Peerzada as Rana Amanullah
• Sohail Sameer as Saleem
• Sania Saeed as Fayyaz
• Ali Junejo as Haider

Release

The film had its world premiere at the 75th Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section on 23 May 2022.[8] Film Constellation, a U.K. and France-based sales firm, has taken up the international rights for the film, which will be shared with WME Independent for representation in North America.[9] French rights of the film were acquired by Condor.[1]

The film was invited at 2022 Toronto International Film Festival in 'Special Presentations' section and was screened on 8 September 2022.[10][11] It also made it to 'A Window on Asian Cinema' section of 27th Busan International Film Festival to be screened on October 6, 2022.[12]

Reception

The film has received positive reviews from international critics. It received a standing ovation at the premiere at Cannes Film Festival.[13] The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating, based on 13 reviews with an average rating of 7.7/10.[14]

Lovia Gyarkye of The Hollywood Reporter, reviewing the film described it as a "family saga, one that [the director] Sadiq uses to observe how gender norms constrict, and then asphyxiate, individuals". In his bottom line comment, Gyarkye termed Joyland as "An aching consideration of gender and sexuality."[15] Anna Smith of Deadline Hollywood Daily opined that the film "has a vivid sense of place, created not so much by its geographical backdrop as its characters." Smith concluding her review wrote, Joyland remains a thoughtful, well performed and engrossing drama set in a culture that’s shifting, and not always with ease."[16] Allan Hunter of Screen Daily wrote, "Sadiq’s screenplay navigates a complex web of secrets and lies, pressures and prejudices to create a soulful human drama intent on challenging narrow minds." Hunter opined that "there are no real villains here beyond a society that imposes rigid expectations on individuals and genders" so, Hunter believed that "liberation carries a hefty price in Joyland, especially for the women," he further felt that "Sadiq’s engaging, thought-provoking film is fully aware of the sacrifices made and the struggles that still lie ahead."[17] Siddhant Adlakha of IndieWire graded the film as B+ and wrote, "The frame moves slowly, if at all, but it always brims with physical and emotional energy; there’s always something in the ether, whether embodied by dazzling displays of light as characters move across stages and club floors or by breathtaking silences."[18] In National Herald Namrata Joshi wrote that the film has been crafted on the "power of the implicit". Joshi praised "virtuoso cast", writing, "each character, irrespective of her or his length of stay on screen, is imbued with a rare completeness, and brought alive by meticulous, effortless performance". Concluding her review, she stated, "Joyland begins with a birth, a sense of hope and possibility but leaves one with a tremendous sense of loss." Next she brought out the pathos of the film writing, "The circle of life is communicated with tenderness and poise by Sadiq that makes it doubly poignant."[19] Jason Gorber, film critic, reviewing at Cannes festival appreciated the film stating, "Expect this to be an absolute breakthrough from this year's Cannes 2022 with enormous international attention." Gorber found the film "Profound and powerful" and further stated, "Pakistani drama upends all expectation of cinema from that often closed culture, one that brashly looks at love, family, longing in its myriad forms.[20] Anupama Chopra reviewing the film, praised the performances of ensemble writing, "The actors Ali Junejo , Salmaan Peerzada , Sarwat Gilani, Sania Saeed and Alina Khan- deliver emotionally resonant performances." Chopra concluded, "With poetry and abiding melancholy, Joyland creates a poignant portrait of a splintered family". Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express found Joyland "the Pakistan’s first official entry, heartwarming..."[21] Ryan Leston of Slash Film rated the film with 7 out of 10 and praised the director Saim Sadiq for his subtle approach to the film. Leston appreciated the film calling it, "a wonderful film about longing and desire with a melancholy undertone that you just don't expect." Concluding review Leston observed, "Joyland is a profoundly moving film that might just make a difference."[22] Guy Lodge of Variety found the film "tartly funny and plungingly sad in equal measure," and opined that, "as a tale of transgender desire in a Muslim country, its very premise makes it a boundary-breaker." Appreciating the director, Lodge wrote, "Sadiq's debut impresses with its sensitive storytelling and vibrant visuals."[23] For Davide Abbatescianni, of The New Arab, the picture "deserves wide praise, especially considering the troubled socio-cultural context in which it was shot." Moreover, "it prompts important questions about chasing dreams and discovering our true selves."[24]

Accolades

Award	Date of ceremony	Category	Recipient(s)	Result	Ref(s)
Cannes Film Festival	27 May 2022	Un Certain Regard Award	Saim Sadiq	Nominated	[25]
		Caméra d'Or		Nominated
		Un Certain Regard Jury Prize		Won	[4]
		Queer Palm		Won	[26]
Indian Film Festival of Melbourne	16 August 2022	Best Film From The Subcontinent	Joyland	Won	[27]

References

External links

• Joyland at IMDb
• Joyland at Rotten Tomatoes

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