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‘Dream come true’ for stars of Pakistan’s first Cannes screening

‘Dream come true’ for stars of Pakistan’s first Cannes screening

The Joyland team received a prolonged standing ovation at the film festival.
25 May, 2022

The debut screening of Pakistan’s first entry to the Cannes Film Festival felt like “a dream has come true”, one of its stars Sarwat Gilani said after the film — which seeks to break gender stereotypes in Pakistan — received a prolonged standing ovation.

“It felt like the hard work that people do, the struggles that we face as artists in Pakistan, they’ve all come to be worth it,” Gilani said on Tuesday.

Gilani, a film and TV star best known for her latest series Churails, plays Nucchi in Joyland, which competes in the “Un Certain Regard” section, a competition focused on more art-house films that runs parallel to the main “Palme d’Or” prize.

Nucchi belongs to a household that has long hoped for the birth of a son to continue the family line, with the consecutive birth of her three daughters not enough to please her conservative father-in-law.

And her brother-in-law Haider secretly falls in love with a transgender woman Biba, who fights for her right to work as a performer.

Joyland also explores the frustration of women seeking to pursue a profession, when Haider’s wife Mumtaz falls into depression for being forced to stay at home and do household chores and stop working as a make-up artist.

“It’s not just about a love story anymore. It’s about real-time issues, real life issues that we all go through,” Gilani said. “Having a woman, a trans, represent that sector of the society, I think it’s a really good step in the direction where we can say we can write progressive stories.”

Gilani said she hoped Pakistani movie-goers would give Joyland as warm a reception as it received in Cannes.

Comments

Nasir May 25, 2022 11:08am
Were the award receivers male / female all are brothers, sister, father, mother. Do not think even such relation will opt for such open hugging.
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NSG May 25, 2022 11:14am
Why don't they wear a burqa?
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John May 25, 2022 11:20am
What a sad state of attires!
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osman May 25, 2022 11:25am
who cares?
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Kaiser May 25, 2022 11:58am
Looking like better.
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Gary May 25, 2022 12:24pm
Waste of money. Just watch Bollywood.
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NYS May 25, 2022 01:55pm
Simply Applause!
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Maz May 25, 2022 01:57pm
Nice to see our Artists getting such a prolonged ovation.
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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad May 25, 2022 02:04pm
United we stand, divided we fall.
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Jo Original May 25, 2022 02:17pm
No one appears to have any dress sense. Some have poorly fitted outfits.
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Redchilli May 25, 2022 02:41pm
Can anybody tell who is the girl in pink and yellow?
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Reality May 25, 2022 03:13pm
Last para is the sad reality
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NYS May 25, 2022 03:54pm
@Redchilli non_binary
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Constantine May 25, 2022 04:21pm
They’re acting as if they’ve never been to a foreign country before
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Father of Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad May 25, 2022 04:47pm
where our the land of the pure is headed?
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Soniye Tu Auder Te La May 25, 2022 07:05pm
Except Gallani, everyone else looking cartoonish, to be fair.
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Rehana Bounse May 25, 2022 07:16pm
Wish they had worn some of our beautiful traditional clothes which are so sophisticated & elegant
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Rehana Bounse May 25, 2022 07:42pm
I love Sania Saeed’s acting, she’s a brilliant & a classic actress but she did not do justice to herself. Since she’s short she should have worn something shorter in length like a short length shalwar kameez or kameez & pants. Her outfit makes her get lost in her outfit. Or she wears a sari beautifully which makes her so elegant.
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JustWasif May 25, 2022 07:49pm
Something to watch... Red dressed lady...
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someguy May 25, 2022 08:55pm
Of course, only if you promote sick transgender agenda will you be rewarded. This is plain west telling us what will be valued and rewarded. Only peomoting their disgusting agendas.
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Sunshine May 25, 2022 10:40pm
The Pakistani debut would certainly have been more memorable had they all been dressed in Pakistani designed clothes and attire. When will anyone break the stereotype mindset that the western look is superior?? Will our stars ever realize that aping the west, dress and culture is not a novelty or high class?? For that matter how many western stars have worn a Sari, shalwar kameez or any eastern garb at such events ??
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Ahmed May 26, 2022 12:34am
IF this was your dream then you have really underestimated your worth. You might want to up the ante on your dreams and ambitions.
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Junaid May 26, 2022 01:44am
What a sad state of affairs!
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Kamran Ali May 26, 2022 02:05am
@Nasir Wow, hugging is such an issue for you. Close minded fool
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TR May 26, 2022 06:17am
Congratulations.
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Lakhkar khan May 26, 2022 07:17am
@Gary - Don't sorry, Bollywood will copy this too then you can watch it. What is Bollywood if didn't steal music from pakistan, story from Hollywood and dance from VH1 and MTV USA?
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K Shah May 26, 2022 08:10am
Congrats!! ... And please ignore other comments ... sadly in our Country we're more interested in what one wears than the deeds one do ...
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Rehana Bounse May 26, 2022 08:20am
@Nasir why are you even on this platform? Are you living in a cave? Do you watch Pakistani dramas or music shows ? Do you practice Islam the way it’s supposed to, not just your clothes or outward appearance but making it a way of life which is a rarity. So stop it !
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Rami May 26, 2022 09:37am
The team as far fashions never heard of coordinated fashions, cannes festival also promotes films, fashions and beauty, it is sponsor by LOreal, the team could have been sponsor by top fashion brand of Pakistan would have been great !
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Hawk May 26, 2022 11:08am
Can they here? Then why there?
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Rehana Bounse May 26, 2022 07:55pm
@Gary that’s waste of money too.
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Sajjad A. May 26, 2022 09:07pm
The funny thing is that they don't look like "Pakistanis" from any angle. The reason it got to Cannes is so obvious. Can someone guess it in a reply to this comment? :)
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Shakil Khan May 27, 2022 07:54pm
Good for Joy land team. Blend well with others. Thanks heaven no dopattas, baggy Shalwar and long kameezes
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Khalid iqbal May 28, 2022 06:58am
I don’t understand, why the artists are trying to look like cartoons , either they are wearing loose poorly stitched clothes or too tight for their skins , why don’t they stay within their own culture.
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