A married man falls for a trans woman in Joyland, the first Pakistani feature to play in Cannes. Saim Sadiq’s atmospheric Un Certain Regard drama also explores a whole family, presenting a picture …
drama also explores a whole family, presenting a picture of a clan torn between modernity and tradition in contemporary Lahore.
Haider has a seemingly happy arranged marriage with Mumtaz . But when he gains work as a backing dancer for the glamorous trans performer Biba , his eyes are opened to another way of life — and potentially another way of loving. Meanwhile, his wife is frustrated with the expectations of the patriarchal society she lives in, and much less enthusiastic about the prospect of bringing another boy into the family .
Haider makes for a quietly compelling lead: a man oppressed by his father’s conventional expectations, and more sensitive than he dare admit. His wife is a tragic figure: a smart woman who deserves more than her lot. But the most distinctive character is Biba, the pre-op trans woman who makes a living with exotic dancing — sometimes in front of a large, relatively mainstream audience, other times for a small crew of lewd, sexually aggressive men.
The relationship between Haider and Biba is riveting — we’re never quite sure how far it will go, or what drives Haider. There’s a suggestion that he may be attracted to men, which infuriates Biba, who identifies as female. And yet there is a tangible tenderness between these two lost souls, both living lives they haven’t signed up for. That Biba has made the brave move to change her gender implicitly emboldens Haider to live more honestly according to his own sexuality.
Presumably that’s meant to reflect the perspective of the protagonist, though it does leave some stories up in the air. Butremains a thoughtful, well performed and engrossing drama set in a culture that’s shifting, and not always with ease.
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