Joyland15

Directed by Saim Sadiq | Pakistan | 2022 | 2h 7m | Punjabi & Urdu w/ English subtitles | Starring Ali Junejo, Rasti Farooq, Alina Khan, Sarwat Gilani, Salmaan Peerzada

Fearing the disapproval of his father, the youngest son in a traditional Pakistani family secretly takes a job as a backup dancer in a Bollywood-style erotic burlesque. The situation becomes even more complicated when he soon becomes infatuated with the strong-willed trans woman who runs the show. A riveting queer drama sensitively exploring the limiting nature of gender expectations and the corrosiveness of patriarchy. Jury Prize Winner at the Cannes Film Festival.

Reviews

‘Joyland’s quiet power comes not through melodrama, which Sadiq scrupulously avoids, but its deep affection for its characters. It’s a modern tale of changing gender roles and the patriarchal crisis that could just as easily have taken place in New York.’
★★★★
Kaleem Aftab, Time Out

‘The frame moves slowly, if at all, but it always brims with physical and emotional energy’
★★★★
Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Joyland between March 18, 2023 and March 23, 2023.

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What else is on?

Today (Tuesday 19th March)

18:15

Banel & Adama 12A
1h 27m | Pular & Peul w/ English subtitles
A young couple face mounting pressure from their families as they strive to break free from tradition. Senegal’s submission for the 2024 Oscars is a poignant fable that unfolds with a slow-burning intensity.

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20:30

Perfect Days PG
2h 5m | Japanese w/ English subtitles
Legendary director Wim Wenders (Paris Texas, Wings of Desire) paints an unconventional portrait of Tokyo in this gentle tale of a Japanese cleaner balancing his time between his job and his passion for photography.

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Tomorrow (Wednesday 20th March)

15:00

Anatomy of a Fall 15
2h 32m | French & German w/ English subtitles
Winner of the Palme d'Or (Best Film) at the Cannes Film Festival, Justine Triet's gripping courtroom crime drama examines the so-called truth of a suspected murder in the French Alps.

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18:00

JFTFP24: Ripples 18
2h | Japanese w/ English subtitles
A woman whose husband and son suddenly leave her to turns to a new religious cult for comfort. However, her newfound tranquility is disrupted when her family members suddenly return.

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20:45

Morvern Callar 15
1h 33m
A young woman grapples with identity and liberation after the sudden death of her boyfriend in Lynne Ramsay's (We Need to Talk About Kevin, Ratcatcher) intoxicating study of grief, starring Samantha Morton.

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Plan your visit

Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road. We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We don’t show adverts, just a couple of trailers, so don't be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!