Hijra expertly weaves together inter-generational relationships, the modern-day experiences of a woman in Saudi Arabia, and the sacred pilgrimage to Mecca.
Director: Shahad Ameen
Genre: Drama
Run Time: 115′
Venice World Premiere: August 28, 2025 (Venezia Spotlight)
Release Date: TBA
Hijra is a story that is focused on the journey and how it changes you. Our central characters are heading to Mecca to fulfil their obligatory duty for all able Muslims, but it’s the way in which they are fundamentally changed throughout the narrative that makes this a truly interesting film.
Janna (Lamar Faden) is on a journey towards Mecca to perform Hajj with her stern grandmother, Sitti (Khairiah Nathmy), and her older sister Sarah (Raghad Bokhari). When Sarah runs away, Janna and Sitti leave their pilgrimage in search of her, taking on their own journey throughout Saudi Arabia with the help of Ahmed (Nawaf Al-Dhufairy), a scammer earning money to pay off fines.
Director Shahad Ameen utilises the landscapes of Saudi Arabia to great effect; a number of the locations in this film, which is based predominantly either outside or in a car, are breathtaking. It successfully shows a completely different side to Saudi Arabia that they don’t show you in advertising. As Mecca is deep inside the country, many people finish their pilgrimage and stay nearby, meaning you have a melting pot of cultures in a small area, creating such diversity in people. The film leans on this, showing how these characters from a completely different area don’t fit in with the local population, and seem to be a little more liberal with what women can and can’t do as well.
The three leads are magnificent, holding the film together with the relationships between the three. Al-Dhufairy has quite an alluring presence, it’s no wonder his character is a salesman trying to pass off regular water to pilgrims as holy water. Nathmy has an air around her that emanates strength and knowledge; you trust that whatever decision she will make for herself and her grandchildren will be the correct one. Her character has a lot of backstory revealed in the film that makes her role even more interesting, too.
The real highlight in casting is Lamar Faden. This is her debut, and she gives a very controlled and convincing performance. Without her, this film could have teetered on being a little dull, but the look in her eyes and the decisions her character made make this an enthralling drama.
The inter-generational relationships between the three are good at showing how the country has changed over the last sixty years: Sitta is a traditionalist, stern, and by-the-book; Ahmed is a helper, likes to assist but is mostly focussed on trying to earn as much money as possible from those whom he can exploit; Janna is a modern girl, enjoys listening to music and does not want to fast when Sitta says they must. All three feel incredibly well-written and fleshed out, and have a lot to say about the national identity of the citizens of this large country.
With perfectly composed cinematography and a spellbinding score, Ameen has created a drama that does exactly what it sets out to do, showcasing her country in a completely different light and highlighting the incredible journey that members of this religion undertake.
Hijra: Movie Plot & Recap
Synopsis:
On their pilgrimage to Mecca, Janna and Sitta have to leave and journey across the country to search for runaway Sarah.
Pros:
- Magnificent performances
- Beautiful locations
- Composed framing of shots
Cons:
- The second act was quite slow
- Sarah’s character was never fleshed out well
Hijra had its World Premiere at the Venice Film Festival on August 28, 2025, in the “Venezia Spotlight” Strand.
