Information ministry bans screening of “Joyland” after criticism
Saim Sadiq’s film Joyland has been banned by the government of Pakistan on account of highly objectionable and repugnant material as slated in the official notice issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Joyland became the first Pakistani film won the feminist themed award at Cannes Film Festival.Two months later on Aug 17, the central board of film censors (CBFC) issued it the necessary censor certificate and the film was slated to be screened in Pakistani cinemas on Nov 18 but on Nov 11 Friday, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting cancelled its license after receiving complaints that “the film contains highly objectionable material which does not conform with the social values and moral standards of our society and is clearly repugnant to the norms of decency and morality; as laid down in Section 9 of the Motion Picture Ordinance, 1979”
Reacting on the ban of “Joyland” Lollywood celebrities including Sarwat Gilani, Osman Khalid Butt, Abdullah Siddiqui Mera Sethi, Sanam Saeed and many more are raising voices on their social media platforms.
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There’s a paid smear campaign doing rounds against #Joyland, a film that made history for Pakistani cinema, got passed by all censor boards but now authorities are caving into pressure from some malicious people who have not even seen the film. #ReleaseJoyland @MoIB_Official
— sarwat gilani (@sarwatgilani) November 12, 2022
Shameful that a Pakistani film made by 200 Pakistanis over 6 years that got standing ovations from Toronto to Cairo to Cannes is being hindered in its own country. Don’t take away this moment of pride and joy from our people! #ReleaseJoyland @MoIB_Official @GovtofPakistan
— sarwat gilani (@sarwatgilani) November 12, 2022
No one’s forcing anyone to watch it! So don’t force anyone to not watch it either! Pakistani viewers are smart enough to know what they want to watch or not. Let Pakistanis decide! Don’t insult their intelligence and our hard work! #ReleaseJoyland @MoIB_Official @GovtofPakistan
— sarwat gilani (@sarwatgilani) November 12, 2022
To the @MoIB_Official:
— Osman Khalid Butt 🇵🇸 (@aClockworkObi) November 12, 2022
Can you please confirm the authenticity of this letter (shared by a member of Senate), because if Joyland has been declared an uncertified film, I've got some questions.
/cont'd. pic.twitter.com/YqnVjuGymF
The CFBC cleared Joyland for release in August. So the members of the Board had no issues with the theme/content of the film, correct?
— Osman Khalid Butt 🇵🇸 (@aClockworkObi) November 12, 2022
The film is set to release on the 18th, which makes point 2 not just severely misleading but factually incorrect.
/cont'd.
As a nation that has celebrated Joyland's many milestones and achievements, it is incredibly disheartening to see you cave under the pressure of 'written complaints' (by..who, exactly? Where and how have these people seen the film?)
— Osman Khalid Butt 🇵🇸 (@aClockworkObi) November 12, 2022
/cont'd.
It's baffling to me that even after Joyland made history at Cannes, after all the international critical acclaim it has received, after Pakistan itself submitted the film for Best International Feature at the Oscars, it is somehow (a week before release) unfit for our audiences?
— Osman Khalid Butt 🇵🇸 (@aClockworkObi) November 12, 2022
There are testimonies by people who've 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 seen the film at Cannes, at TIFF (not those judging by hearsay/bias), who claim there's absolutely nothing objectionable about Joyland.
— Osman Khalid Butt 🇵🇸 (@aClockworkObi) November 12, 2022
We've seen the same happen with Verna, with Maalik, with Zindagi Tamasha...
/cont'd.
Can our cinema please, for once, not be held hostage by what seems to be an entirely arbitrary Ordinance?
— Osman Khalid Butt 🇵🇸 (@aClockworkObi) November 12, 2022
There seems to be no issue with hyperviolence, regressive themes, adult jokes and content, overt sexualisation onscreen...but trans representation is where we draw the line?
If the themes of Joyland (and this is a hypothesis - I haven't seen the film) are too sensitive/mature for general audiences, then give it an appropriate rating. There's precedent.
— Osman Khalid Butt 🇵🇸 (@aClockworkObi) November 12, 2022
But don't deprive us of watching the film.#ReleaseJoyland
https://twitter.com/sethimirajee/status/1591689511091965952?cxt=HHwWgMDQ1avL6JYsAAAA
#ReleaseJoyland ! There is no reason not to. Be proud of the work that our artists create not afraid! Give your own people the respect they get in foreign lands. Support us, stand by us and we as Pakistani artists will make this country proud! https://t.co/6jQizg0Xbx
— Sanam Saeed (@sanammodysaeed) November 13, 2022