Actress Sarwat Gilani felt that the debut screening of Pakistani film Joyland at the Cannes film festival was a dream come true as it received a prolonged standing ovation.
The movie seeks to break gender stereotypes in the country and has been praised for its strong content.
In a chat with Reuters, the Churails actress said, "It felt like the hard work that people do, the struggles that we face as artists in Pakistan, they've all come to be worth it."
Gilani, who is well-known for her acting prowess, plays Nucchi in Joyland which competes in the Un Certain Regard section, a competition focused on more art-house films that run parallel to the Palme d'Or prize.
Joyland also explores the frustration of women looking to pursue a profession.
She added, "It's not just about a love story anymore. It's about real-time issues, real life issues that we all go through. Having a woman, a trans, represent that sector of the society, I think it's a really good step in the direction where we can say we can write progressive stories."
"I'm very positive that at least our people will understand that this is also a kind of cinema that can be successful. If worldwide, then why not locally, nationally,” concluded Gilani.
