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Joyland (15) (AD)

— ,Barbican Cinemas
Two woman laugh at night in a still from Joyland

A young husband from a conservative Pakistani family falls in love with a transgender dancer in this two-time Cannes winning directorial debut.

In the cultural yet conservative city of Lahore live the Ranas, who are awaiting the birth of the next male in the family line. When the youngest son Haider gets a job as a back-up dancer, he meets a strong-willed transgender performer called Biba. Joyland explores the battleground of love versus duty in present day Pakistan.  

Initially banned from release in its home country, Joyland sparked the social media wave #ReleaseJoyland which lead the Pakistani Government to reconsider its decision and release the film (following the censoring of some scenes). To a Western gaze, Saim Sadiq's debut feature is a poignant and sensitive consideration of gender and sexuality. 

Please note: Some weekend screenings include a 19-minute recorded Q&A (subtitled) with director Saim Sadiq and journalist Ashanti Omkar, shown after the film. 

Tagged with: Cinema New releases

Pakistan 2022 dir Saim Sadiq 127 min

There is audio description available for this title. We provide audio description using the Dolby Screentalk system. The film soundtrack comes through the speakers in the usual way and a recorded narrator explains what is happening on screen through personal headphones. Please ask a member of staff for a set of headphones.

Barbican Cinemas

Location
Barbican Cinema 1 is located within the main Barbican building on Level -2. Head to Level G and walk towards the Lakeside Terrace where you’ll find stairs and lifts to take you down to the venue floor.   

Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS

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