Friday, May 12, 2023
6:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Joukowsky Forum, 111 Thayer Street
The groundbreaking debut feature from writer-director Saim Sadiq-- Joyland is being screened at Brown University!
JOYLAND explores the many sides of love and desire in a patriarchal society. Gentle and timid, Haider (Ali Junejo) lives with his wife Mumtaz (Rasti Farooq), his father, and his elder brother’s family in Lahore, Pakistan. Following a long spell of unemployment, Haider finally lands a job at a Bollywood-style burlesque, telling his family he is a theater manager, when in actuality, he is a backup dancer. The unusual position shakes up the steadfast traditional dynamics of his household and enables Haider to break out of his shell. As he acclimates to the new job, Haider becomes infatuated with the strong-willed trans woman Biba (Alina Khan) who runs the show—an unforeseen partnership that opens his eyes and ultimately his worldview, in ways both unexpected and intimate.
Winner of the 2023 Independent Spirit Awards for Best International Film, Joyland is also the first Pakistani film to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.
Co-sponsored by:
Department of Modern Culture and Media,
The Malcolm S. Forbes Center for Culture and Media Studies
Presented by: Oscilloscope Laboratories