Set in Lahore, Pakistan, “Joyland” revolves around Haider, the youngest son of the middle-class, patriarchal Rana family. As the Ranas yearn for the birth of a baby boy, Haider secretly joins an erotic dance theater and finds himself falling for a fiercely ambitious trans starlet. Their love story illuminates the secrets and desires of the entire Rana family.

MALALA COMMENTS ON PAKISTAN’S DECISION TO BAN HER MOVIE JOYLAND

2022 proved to be a banner year for Pakistani artists. Aftab delivered the country’s first Grammy award, winning for best global music performance. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy directed episodes of “Ms. Marvel,” the critically-acclaimed Disney+ series featuring the first Muslim superhero in the Marvel universe. Novels like Soomro’s “Other Names for Love” and Mohsin Hamid’s “The Last White Man” won praise from critics.

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