Pakistan has reportedly lifted its ban on the cinema release of Joyland, the country’s official entry to the Oscars.
However, some scenes will be cut before the movie opens across the country, an aide to the prime minister has said.
Salman Sufi, an aide to prime minister Shahbaz Sharif, told The Associated Press that the decision to lift the ban was made by a committee that the premier had formed to evaluate the film. The board approved the film with minor cuts, he said.
“The decision is a simple yet powerful message that the government stands by freedom of speech and safeguards it, and cannot allow mere smear campaigns or disinformation to be used as choking creative freedom,” Sufi said.
It is not yet clear which scenes will be cut.
“Transgender people are as much citizens of Pakistan as anyone else,” he said. “We have launched a hotline for their issues as well from the prime minister’s office and the prime minister is fully committed to safeguarding their rights.”
Directed by Saim Sadiq, Joyland follows a young man from a patriarchal family who secretly joins an exotic dance theatre as a background performer and falls for a trans actress, while his wife is expecting their first child.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced a ban on the film on November 11 after receiving written complaints that the film “contains highly objectionable material which do not conform with the social values and moral standards of our society.”
Joyland is scheduled for release in Pakistani cinemas on Friday. The film is getting an Oscar-qualifying release in France next week.
No comments yet