Hijra: Redefining Faith, Freedom, and Femininity in Saudi Cinema
Hijra is not merely a film — it’s a quiet awakening for Saudi cinema. Directed by Shahad Ameen, this poetic road movie unfolds like a prayer whispered across the desert — soft, restrained, yet profoundly moving.
Set in 2001, Hijra follows a stern grandmother, Sitti, who takes her two granddaughters on a pilgrimage to Mecca. But when the elder granddaughter disappears, the journey turns into something far more personal — a pilgrimage of the heart. Through the vast silence of the desert, Sitti and the younger granddaughter, Janna, confront loss, faith, and the invisible boundaries that define womanhood in a conservative society.
Ameen crafts this story not as a rebellion, but as revelation. The film speaks in symbols — snow in Saudi Arabia, camels crossing an endless horizon — each image carrying layers of meaning about migration, memory, and freedom. Cinematographer Miguel Littin-Menz captures the Saudi landscape as a living character: both cruel and compassionate, barren yet full of secrets.
Khairiah Nazmi delivers a haunting performance as Sitti, embodying generations of women who have learned to survive through silence. Young Lamar Fadan, as Janna, brings purity and quiet strength — her eyes reflecting both innocence and awakening. Together, they form the emotional core of a film that is deeply feminine without ever being sentimental.
Winner of the NETPAC Award at the Venice Film Festival and now Saudi Arabia’s official entry for the 2026 Oscars, Hijra is a milestone — not just for its cinematic excellence, but for what it represents. It dares to look inward, asking whether true migration lies in crossing borders or in freeing the soul.
In Hijra, Shahad Ameen doesn’t just tell a story — she lets us feel the heartbeat of a changing nation. Saudi cinema, long confined by silence, has finally found its voice — and it speaks with grace, depth, and truth.
Director, screenplay: Shahad Ameen
Cast: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Cinematography: Miguel I. Littin-Menz
Editing: Hervé de Luze, Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji
Production design: Chris Richmond, Ali Saad
Costume design: Meznah Alharbi
Music: Armand Amar
Sound: Roland Vajs
Production companies: Bite Ameen (Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji), Iraqi Independent Film Center (Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji), Ideation Studios (Faisal Baltyuor, Ayman Jamal, Mohammed Alawi), Film Clinic (Mohamed Hefzy), Human Film (Ali Atia Jabarah Al-Daradji), Daw Film – Film Commission | MOC (Abdullah Naser Al-Qahtani), Noon Art Media Production (Ahmed Al-Mulla), Three Arts (Abboud Ayyach)
Venue: Venice Film Festival (Spotlight )
In Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, English
115 minutes
Irshad Dilliwala
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