‘Joyland’ is a dramatic x-ray of the frustrations, oppression and suffocation –social and intimate– suffered by all the characters in the film.
The first Pakistani film to be screened at Cannes –where it won the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section, in addition to the Queer Palm–, ‘Joyland’ starts out as what appears to be a traditional family portrait focused on Haider’s LGTBIQA+ discovery, the little brother of the Rana clan: married but childless, with no other job than taking care of his nephews, scorned by his father and brother for living off his wife’s salary… But as the plot progresses, and disappointments continue, becomes a dramatic x-ray of the frustrations, oppression and suffocation –social and intimate– suffered by all the characterseach of them under their own yoke: be it transphobia, hidden homosexuality or patriarchal repression.
All this is articulated through a script in which detail prevails over the obvious but, especially, thanks to the staging imposed by Saim Sadiq in what is his debut feature: vibrant and tense, with an intelligent use of the 4:3 format and the composition and sense of time or a changing color palette that gives the film a singular luminosity. A brave film in which the textures and nuances have more weight than the plot itself.
For those who want to rise up against any type of social repression
DATA SHEET
Address: Saim Sadiq Distribution: Ali Junejo, Alina Khan, Rasti Farooq, Sarwat Gilani, Salmaan Peerzada Country: Pakistan Year: 2022 Release date: 10–2-2023 Gender: Drama Script: Saim Sadiq, Maggie Briggs Duration: 126 min.
Synopsis: While the Ranas – a happily united patriarchal family – await the birth of a child to carry on the family lineage, their youngest son secretly joins an erotic dance troupe and falls in love with an ambitious young trans starlet. Their impossible love story ends up fueling the desire for sexual rebellion in the entire Rana family.
Source: Fotogramas
Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.
