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Award winning film Joyland is finally coming to Pakistan around the end of this year. Filmmaker Saim Sadiq said it was always meant to be screened here — getting selected by Cannes was just a bonus.

The filmmaker discussed what his intentions were for Joyland and when it is planned to hit theatres for a screening in a live session with Propergaanda’s Mahnoor Tariq. He also shared his expectations where the notoriously trigger-happy censor board is concerned.

“We’re just trying to ensure that we find a nice weekend where we can play and people can come and watch. And of course, it can play for as long as people want to watch it. We’ll release nationwide InshaAllah this winter but we’ll hear more confirmations, the whole shabang, post a trailer and stuff. We’ll start rolling in at the right time. Soon,” he said.

He said they’re in the planning the stage right now. “What we’re mostly doing all day is — actually I shouldn’t say we’re not working because I don’t consider that work but what we’re really doing all day is that, planning the release,”

Sadiq said he is not afraid of a rejection by the censor board because he knows his film and consequently knows there is nothing to censor in it. “Not to say the film is not made to make people uncomfortable but I don’t know what they will censor in the film, really. If I had to think of a scene or a dialogue, yeah, there may be one or two curse words which we can beep but that is the extent of it. What released film doesn’t have curse words? There are just two, very by-the-way type.”

The film director also revealed that the film was also meant for the Pakistani audience. “I knew the intent was always to screen the film in Pakistan, this whole other thing of going to Cannes and stuff, that just happened. But I made the film to show it here,” he said.