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60 VASSAR ST, Cambridge, MA 02139

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The MIT Lecture Series Committee presents a movie screening of JOYLAND followed by a live Q&A with director and writer Saim Sadiq, moderated by Natasha Ansari, doctoral student, Urban Studies and Planning, MIT. This event is sponsored by the MIT School of Science and Arts at MIT, and supported by the MIT School of Engineering.

Doors open at 7pm

Free and open to the public

Snacks provided

The debut feature from writer-director Saim Sadiq, JOYLAND explores the many sides of love and desire in a patriarchal society. Gentle and timid, Haider (Ali Junejo) lives with his wife Mumtaz (Rasti Farooq), his father, and his elder brother’s family in Lahore, Pakistan. Following a long spell of unemployment, Haider finally lands a job at a Bollywood-style burlesque, telling his family he is a theater manager, when in actuality, he is a backup dancer. The unusual position shakes up the steadfast traditional dynamics of his household and enables Haider to break out of his shell. As he acclimates to the new job, Haider becomes infatuated with the strong-willed trans woman Biba (Alina Khan) who runs the show—an unforeseen partnership that opens his eyes and ultimately his worldview, in ways both unexpected and intimate.

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