Saudi filmmaker Shahad Ameen’s road movie “Hijra”, which explores the bond between different generations of Saudi women on a journey across the desert, has been chosen as Saudi Arabia’s entry for the Oscar in the international feature film category.
“Hijra” marks Ameen’s second feature, following her first film, the feminist fable, “Scales”, which served as Saudi Arabia’s Oscar candidate in 2020. The film was shot across various locations, including the vast desert and cities like Jeddah, Madinah, AlUla and Neom and premiered to positive reviews in September as part of the Venice Film Festival’s Spotlight section.
The story follows 12-year-old Janna, who embarks on a journey to Mecca for Hajj with her strict grandmother, Sitti and her rebellious 18-year-old sister, Sarah. When Sarah goes missing, Janna and Sitti are thrust into a tense search for her.
“Hijra” features an all-Saudi cast, including Khairia Nathmy as Sitti, Nawaf Al-Dhafiri, and newcomer Lamar Fadan in the lead role of Janna, with a special guest appearance by Baraa Alem.
In a statement, Ameen expressed her pride in representing Saudi Arabia at the Oscars for a second time, stating, “This is a profound honour and a reflection of the positive transformation in Saudi cinema. ‘Hijra’ was one of the most challenging projects of my career. We filmed in remote regions because we believed in the urgency of this story-a tale of Saudi women across generations, told from the heart of our history to the world”.
This film is a co-production involving Saudi Arabia’s Film AlUla film commission, the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation, Beit Ameen Production, the Iraqi Independent Film Centre and Ideation Studios. It is led by producer Faisal Baltyour, alongside co-producers Ayman Jamal, Mohammed Alawi and Egypt’s Mohamed Hefzy through his film clinic.