RepresentAsian is proud to host a screening of the critically acclaimed film Joyland. Directed by Saim Siddiq, it follows the story of Haider, who lands a job at a Bollywood-style burlesque, telling his family he is a theatre manager. In actuality, he is a backup dancer and becomes infatuated with a strong-willed transgender woman, Biba.

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This mysterious, sad, and tender drama brims with life and novelistic detail, keenly directed, in an accomplished debut, by Saim Sadiq. It was the first Pakistani film to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival (and was rewarded with the Un Certain Regard jury prize); the first to make it to the Oscars' international feature film shortlist. It caused a huge stir in its country of origin, where the film’s release was banned by the right-wing government, only to be unbanned after voices as loud as Amnesty International and Malala Yousafzai spoke up.

In Lahore, Pakistan, three generations of the extended Rana family live together near an amusement park called Joyland: Abba, an elderly, strict, wheelchair-bound patriarch; Saleem, a married son with four lively young daughters who yearns to give his father a grandson; Haider, a gentle, married but childless son who is unemployed while his smart, independent wife Mumtaz works. Familial crisis arrives when Haider gets a job at a local erotic dance theatre as a backing dancer for the show's feisty, sharp-tongued, yet insecure transgender star, Biba, with whom he becomes enamoured.

Richly detailed and superbly acted, this thoughtful, nuanced, sensitive story transcends the tragic romance narrative and casts a scathing eye over the rigid social constraints that ensnare anyone who fails to conform. A genuinely remarkable film.

★★★★☆
'A delicate, intelligent, and emotionally rich film.'
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

★★★★☆
'Emotional, tender, and quietly radical.'
Empire Magazine

★★★★☆
The Independent

'A bold, imaginative drama.'
British Film Institute

'Funny, forward, and bracingly political.'
The New Yorker

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Raising money for Pride Without Borders.

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RepresentAsian
Founded by siblings Safiya Haneen and Yusuf Suave, RepresentAsian is a platform that explores and promotes South Asian representation within the UK music industry. Their initiatives include club nights, podcasts, workshops, and more, all aimed at amplifying South Asian voices in music.