Film Screening: Joyland

Join the Rose Art Museum for a screening of the 2022 film JOYLAND, the groundbreaking debut feature film from writer-director Saim Sadiq. The first Pakistani film to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, JOYLAND is the Winner of the 2023 Independent Spirit Awards for Best International Film. The movie explores the many sides of love and desire in a patriarchal society.

FILM SYNOPSIS

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 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 unexpected and intimate ways.

127 minutes. Presented in Urdu and Punjabi with English subtitles.

This program, co-presented with Wicked Queer: Boston’s LGBTQ+ Film Festival, is held in conjunction with the exhibition Salman Toor: No Ordinary Love, on view through February 11, 2024.