JOYLAND

Haider rushes his sister-in-law to the hospital, where she gives birth to a girl, devastating the extended family desperate for a baby boy. The brothers’ elderly father is still hopeful Haider and his wife, Mumtaz, despite their unorthodox relationship, will bring them their much-desired male heir. Everything changes, though, when Haider takes a job as a backup dancer at an erotic theater and falls in love with its beautiful transgender star Biba. JOYLAND (Un Certain Regard Grand Prize winner at Cannes, where it debuted) is both a loving portrait of the people of Lahore, Pakistan, and a painful depiction of how traditional gender roles and repressed sexuality harm all. Showcasing incredible performances and shot with a sharp yet kind eye, feature debut writer-director Saim Sadiq crafts an unforgettable cinematic experience about how vaguely understood but powerful societal expectations can destroy an individual, relationship, and family. —Sundance Film Festival