Mumtaz, a strong-willed makeup artist, passionate about her work, lives with her quiet, unemployed husband, Haider, in an extended joint family with her father-in-law. When Haider finds work as a backup dancer for the charismatic transgender musician, Biba, he discovers another way to love and live. Mumtaz, forced to be a housewife, is suffocated with patriarchal demands. From Mumtaz with her resolute ego and Biba who is true to her desires, to Haider’s dynamic with his father with his domineering ways, the film paints a delicate picture of shifting expectations of gender and sexuality in a religious and patriarchal society.
—————————————————————————————————
Festival Appearances
Cannes Film Festival 2022 – Un Certain Regard Jury Prize, Queer Palme Award
Toronto International Film Festival 2022
Busan International Film Festival 2022
—————————————————————————————————
Saim SadiqSaim Sadiq is a Pakistani filmmaker whose short film, Darling (2019), won the Orizzonti Prize for Best Short Film at the Venice International Film Festival and the Special Jury Mention at the South by Southwest Film Festival before it was introduced at the Toronto International Film Festival. He made his debut feature film, Joyland, in 2022, which was the first Pakistani film ever invited to Cannes, and has been nominated as Pakistan’s entry to the Oscars.
Sat, 5 Nov | 5:45 pm | Main Audi