Joyland wins Cannes ‘Queer Palm’ award

Joyland wins the Cannes ‘Queer Palm’ award 2022 on Friday.

The film is the first-ever Pakistani competitive entry at the Festival de Cannes.

Though the subject might be the most controversial for screening back at home, the film has brought a proud moment by winning the Jury Prize in the “Un Certain Regard” competition, a segment focusing on young, innovative cinema talent.

“It’s a very powerful film, that represents everything that we stand for,” “Queer Palm” jury head, French director Catherine Corsini, told AFP.

“A Pakistani movie featuring a daring portrait of a transgender dancer in the Muslim country won the Cannes ‘Queer Palm’ prize for best LGBT, ‘queer’ or feminist-themed movie,” the jury head told AFP.

Directed by Saim Sadiq, the feature film has based on a tale of the sexual revolution.

It tells the story of the youngest son in a patriarchal family who is expected to produce a baby boy with his wife, but instead, he joins an erotic dance theatre and falls for the troupe’s director, a trans woman.

Producer of the film Sarmad Khoosat shared the news with fans and followers and asked what he can do with his heart.

Well, the debate over the controversy will surely continue for a long time, but for the time being, congratulations are in order for the cast and crew of the Joyland.

Fellow filmmakers Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Mehreen Jabbar, Nabeel Qureshi, and Iram Parveen Bilal expressed their delight over the “huge” news and congratulated Sadiq.