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Pakistan reversed a previous decision to screen its Oscar-winning hit “Joy to the World” and banned it from cinemas, a government official said.
The film, about a love story between a married man and a transgender woman, is Pakistan’s entry at next year’s Oscars and is the winner at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
In a statement late Sunday night, Joyland director Saim Sadiq condemned the government’s decision, calling it “unconstitutional and illegal”.
The on-screen relationship between the two characters has angered some conservatives for weeks in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where many see transgender people as outcasts despite some progress on transgender rights.
A landmark Supreme Court decision designates transgender people a third gender, acknowledging that they identify as neither male nor female.
The law aims to protect the rights of transgender people.
Mobashir Hasan, Pakistan’s government chief information officer, said the film was “uncertified”, meaning it was banned from showings in cinemas under the jurisdiction of the Central Censorship Board.
He did not explain why the film lost its certification, even though it had previously been approved by the country’s three film censorship boards, saying a 1979 order allowed the decision to be reversed.
It was unclear which movie theaters would be affected or how the ban would be enforced.
Mr Hassan shared a notice with senior government officials saying Joyland’s cinemas under the Central Film Censorship Board were not certified “in the whole of Pakistan”.
CBFC Chairman Tahir Hassan said one board “did not certify” the film and he was not sure about the other two.
Salman Sufi, an adviser to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, said he would ask the Information Minister to review the film and the ban.
He told The Associated Press that the ban on films like Joyland that highlight the problems faced by transgender people in Pakistan “takes away their right to talk about their own problems.”
Mr Sophie said marginalized communities should have a voice like everyone else, including politicians.
“Art is the best form, not blocking roads or protesting,” he said in his personal capacity.
In an Instagram post, Sadiq said the film was viewed and certified by all three review boards in August 2022.
“Pakistan’s constitution gives autonomy to all provinces to make their own decisions. However, under pressure from some extremist factions who have not seen the film, the ministry suddenly caved in and mocked by making their decisions irrelevant Our Federal Review Board,” he said.
Earlier this year, the Pakistani government launched a hotline for transgender people to protect them from discrimination and harassment.
The government is trying to pass amendments to its Transgender Rights Act to allow people to choose their gender identity for previously issued government documents, education certificates and national identity cards.
But the proposed amendment has been controversial, with hardline clergy opposing it.
Joyland will be released in Pakistan on Nov. 18, which coincides with Transgender Awareness Week and preliminary voting for the Academy Awards will begin next month.
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