Pakistani film “Joyland” has been greenlit for release after a censorship review in the country.
“The movie #joyland has been cleared for publication by the censorship board review committee formed under the direction of the prime minister @CMShehbazSalman Sufi, an aide to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sherif, tweeted. “Freedom of expression is a fundamental right and must be nurtured in the areas of law.”
“Joyland,” written and directed by Saim Sadiq, centers on the relationship between the youngest son of a “happy patriarchal united family” and a transgender woman he meets after secretly joining a lap dance theater.
The film, which won the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at the Canne Film Festival in May and was submitted as the country’s entry for international feature film at next year’s Oscars, was banned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in Pakistan for “highly objectionable material” just a week before its theatrical release.
The ban coincided with a social media campaign claiming the film was in conflict with the social values of Islam and Pakistan. Despite a new law protecting their rights and a Supreme Court ruling designating them as a “third gender,” transgender people continue to come under scrutiny in the Muslim-majority country.
Pakistan Human Rights Commission condemned the government’s decision to withdraw its certification of the film, calling the action “ragingly transphobic” and a violation of the producers’ right to free speech.
Sadiq urged the government in a instagram post reconsider the decision, calling it “absolutely unconstitutional and illegal.”
“Our film was viewed and certified by all three censorship boards in August 2022. The 18th amendment of the Pakistani constitution gives all provinces the autonomy to make their own decisions,” he wrote. “However, the Ministry suddenly caved under pressure from some extremist factions, who have not seen the film, and mocked our federal board of censorship by making its decision irrelevant.”
To qualify for the Oscars, “Joyland” must be in theaters at least seven days before November 30. According to academy rulesEntries for the International Feature Film category may qualify outside their home country if they are “shown theatrically outside the United States and its territories for at least seven consecutive days in a commercial theater with paid admission.”
Sufi told the Associated Press that the board had approved the film’s release with “minor cuts”. However, he did not elaborate on what they would entail.
“Transgender people are citizens of Pakistan just as much as anyone else,” he added. “We have also launched a hotline for his problems from the prime minister’s office and the prime minister is fully committed to safeguarding his rights.”
“Joyland” is scheduled to open in Pakistani theaters on Friday.