Renowned British publication The Guardian has named Saim Sadiq’s groundbreaking film Joyland and Nimra Bucha’s Polite Society as the “best films of 2023 so far.”
Despite the ban and censorship domestically, the Ali Junejo and Alina Khan-starrer continues to make waves worldwide even a year after its release. After securing Pakistan’s first-ever Cannes award in the Un Certain Regard category, and getting shortlisted for the 2023 Oscars, Joyland achieved another milestone.
British publication described Joyland as a “subtle trans drama from Pakistan that explores the unsettled social and sexual identities of a widower and his children with delicacy and tenderness.”
Both, Ali Junejo and Alina Khan, proudly shared this achievement on their Instagram stories.
Joyland served as Pakistan’s official entry for this year’s Oscars, becoming the country’s first-ever film to be shortlisted.
While it didn’t secure a nomination, the film has nevertheless garnered acclaim and triumphed at various prestigious film festivals, including the Spirit Awards and the Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival (MISAFF).
Joyland narrates the story of a man raised in a conservative patriarchal family who falls in love with a transgender dancer he encounters at an erotic dance theatre. Initially facing a ban in Pakistan, the film eventually found its way to audiences in the major cities of Sindh and Islamabad.
Variety magazine has hailed it as both a “boundary-breaker” and a “crowd-pleaser,” receiving support from global figures like Hollywood actor Riz Ahmed and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai, who came on board as executive producers.
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