Saudi director Shahad Ameen’s new road movie ‘Hijra’ focuses on the bonds between generations of Saudi women. The Arabic word ‘Hijra’ means moving from one place to another. This is what has been highlighted in the movie. The film follows the journey of three women—grandmother Sitti (Khayriya Nazmi) and her two granddaughters Janna (Lamar Faden) and Sara (Raghad Bokhari)—who encounter various experiences on their way from Taif to Mecca for Hajj. About the movie, Shahad Ameen told Variety, ‘I wanted to show the unknown side of Saudi Arabia. Not just a desert, the country is a mix of different cultures, where many people live safely.’
‘Hijra’ has been nominated for the Academy Awards (Oscars) from Saudi Arabia. The film won the Jury Prize at the Red Sea International Film Festival. This is Shahad Ameen’s second film, his first film ‘Scales’ was screened at the Venice Film Festival in 2019.
About the origin of the story, Shahad Ameen said, first, he wanted to tell the story of a missing young woman. A little sister looking for her big sister in Jeddah—that was the idea. But once the story seemed childish to him, he rejected it. Later, his producer Mohamed Al-Daradji said, ‘Wouldn’t you like to make this story from the women’s point of view?’
This producer said that his family is of Chinese origin. From this experience, he thought, ‘If the lost girl is a diaspora, the story would be richer.’ He then recycled a scene from an earlier script—the moment of crossing a checkpoint during the Hajj in Mecca. This is how the themes of family, migration, and journey come together.
Regarding casting, Lamar Faden has been chosen for the role. Shahad Ameen said, ‘I decided I wanted her the first time I saw her. His maternal grandmother is from Pakistan and his father is from Indonesia; So the variety of her appearance matches the story. Lamar is sometimes Saudi, sometimes Philippines, sometimes MexicoSometimes it seems Indonesian, which gives the impression of the multi-ethnic character of the film.
About the movie, the director also said, ‘I wanted the audience to gradually enter the characters. It’s actually like pulling back the curtain slowly, so that the audience can connect with the characters.’ The film has several snow scenes. Through this, he wants to show the diversity of Saudi Arabia. Shahad Ameen said, ‘Saudi Arabia has deserts, and there are mountainous areas in the north and south. It’s cold there and people have to de-ice the windshield. It is a reflection of the reality and diversity of the story.
Shahad Ameen wants to show a different form of Saudi Arabia. He said, ‘What people know about Saudi Arabia is only desert. But actually, the country is very diverse. Many Muslims are living safely in different parts of the world.” Shahad Ameen said, Through this film, he wants to highlight the story of Saudi women and the many cultural realities of the country.
