With stunning honesty that’s achingly bittersweet, “Joyland” tackles gender and sexual fluidity in a repressed patriarchal society with wisps of hopefulness and it opens at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center May 12.
Continuing is “Everything Went Fine.”
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.
“Joyland” is showing through May 25.
In “Everything Went Fine,” André (André Dussollier) contacts his adult daughter, Emmanuèle, (Sophie Marceau) with a devastating final wish, and she is forced to reconcile her past with him. The powerful family drama is directed by François Ozon. André (André Dussollier) has never been the easiest of fathers. But when he suffers a debilitating stroke and calls on his daughter Emmanuèle (Sophie Marceau) to help him die with some dignity, she finds herself faced with a painful decision. When Emmanuèle’s husband asks why André would make such a request from his daughter, her response is clear: “That’s why, because I’m his daughter.”
An adaptation of acclaimed French screenwriter and novelist Emmanuèle Bernheim’s memoir, “Everything Went Fine” is a detailed portrait of family relationships, and a frank account of the process involved in assisted dying. Steering clear of moral arguments such issues raise, “Everything Went Fine” focuses instead on Emmanuèle’s complex relationship with her unrelentingly stubborn yet utterly charming father, and how she comes to terms with his decision. Acknowledging the emotional toil such a process involves, the film’s matter-of-factness elicits moments of humor that not only emphasize the characters’ humanity but make a weighty topic accessible. Featuring stunning performances by Marceau and Dussollier, as well as a scene-stealing cameo by Charlotte Rampling as André’s ex-wife, “Everything Went Fine” tackles a complex subject with intelligence and sensitivity.
“Everything Went Fine” is showing through May 18.
Learn more about the films, including show times and ticket availability.
