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Source: Variety
Despite the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (previously referred to as Best Foreign Language Film) having existed since 1947 and allowed nations from all across the globe to receive some kind of recognition at a ceremony that is otherwise largely biased towards English-language films, there are still quite a few countries that have not only not won the award, but haven’t even been nominated once. Of the 133 nations that have submitted a film to be nominated at least once throughout the category’s 75 year history, only 62 of them – less than half – have succeeded in landing a nomination for a given year’s Academy Awards ceremony (with less than half of that number – 28 to be precise – ultimately winning the award with one f their films). Among the countries that have yet to be properly acknowledged by the Academy are the island nation of Indonesia, Mongolia in central Asia, and nearly the entirety of the African continent (with some exceptions like South Africa). Still, despite these shortcomings, many of these nations continue to produce films with hopes that they will one day end up being nominated for this prestigious award.
This year, for example, sees the nation of Pakistan being represented by “Joyland”, a Punjabi-language drama from writer/director Saim Sadiq, which became a surprise hit at the most recent Cannes International Film Festival and even took home its Un Certain Regard Jury Prize. This certainly gives it an advantage that previous Pakistani films have not been fortunate enough to receive, and it’s quite possible that it will be the nation’s first film to receive a Best International Feature Film nomination at the upcoming Academy Awards. However, in the meantime, “Joyland” must contend with an issue that has undoubtedly been frustrating for the filmmakers and those who wish to have it represent the nation of Pakistan: the government of Pakistan itself.
On November 12th, it was announced that the Pakistani government has banned “Joyland” due to it containing what they claim to be “highly questionable content”. The country’s censor board had previously granted the film a censor certificate to the film, according to the nation’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, but the decision has since been reversed, and the film is now able to be viewed publicly within Pakistan. “Written complaints were received that the film contains highly objectionable material which do 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,” states the order banning “Joyland”. “Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 9(2) (a) of the said Ordinance and after conducting a comprehensive inquiry, the Federal Government declares the feature film titled ‘Joyland’ as an uncertified film for the whole of Pakistan in the cinemas which fall under the jurisdiction of CBFC with immediate effect.”
The film, centered around the youngest son of a conservative family who joins an erotic dance theater and develops a romance with the transgender starlet he works with, was originally set to be released in Pakistan on November 18th. That’s no longer the plan though, and with the Pakistani government being unwilling to grant “Joyland” any other date for release, Sadiq Saim has understandably spoken out against what he has deemed to be a “grave injustice”, one he describes as “absolutely unconstitutional and illegal”. In an Instagram post made shortly after his film’s banning, Saim called upon his country’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to review this decision and give “Joyland” an opportunity to be exhibited publicly. “The response that ‘Joyland’ has received from every corner of the world has been both humbling and energizing,” Saim’s post states. “I am thankful for all the messages on mainstream and social media in support of the film and against the decision to hinder the film’s release in its home country, which shows that Pakistani audiences are sensible and don’t want to be dictated about which film they should or should not watch”.
As Saim’s post implies, “Joyland” has fortunately been much more favorably received elsewhere in the world. Besides its aforementioned win at Cannes, the film just recently received the Young Cinema Award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, a group partnered with critics’ association NETPAC and the Griffith Film School. “‘Joyland’ represents a significant new cinematic talent in Saim Sadiq from Pakistan, who has crafted a moving and entertaining drama about family in his debut feature film,” the organization claimed in a written statement released shortly after the film’s ban in Pakistan. “The Young Cinema Award Jury commends Saim Sadiq for his brave and joyous celebration of community diversity and the universality of love”. In addition, Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai has signed on to be an executive producer for the film, which will definitely help “Joyland” gain further recognition throughout the international film community, a campaign that will hopefully culminate in a nomination at the upcoming Academy Awards.
In the meantime though, Saim and his fellow filmmakers are working their hardest to reverse the ban placed on their film. Though the odds may not be entirely in his favor, the young Pakistani director will not be so easily swayed by the will of his nation’s government. “A number of people have put in years and years of hard work and money behind this film and we cannot allow that to go to waste based on baseless rumors and complaints from a few individuals that have suddenly overridden the law and the system,” Saim’s Instagram post continues. “Hence as artists and filmmakers and citizens we must not sit back and we must raise our voices collectively. I urge the Pakistani Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to please review this decision and return the right of our citizens to be able to watch the film that has made their country’s cinema proud world over.”
