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entertainment10h ago
‘Hijra’ Review: A Disappearance Reveals a Society’s Strictures in Potent Saudi Drama
- Hijra follows a mother and granddaughter on a cross-country search for a missing teen, revealing how personal choices clash with social rules.
- Set in 2001, the film uses a road trip to Mecca to explore how Western influences mingle with strict local norms.
- Sitti and Janna improvise moral decisions as they search for Sarah, testing the line between truth and protection.
- The film argues against definitive epiphanies, instead showing how oppressive systems shape choices.
- Nathmy, Al-Dhufairy, and Faden deliver restrained performances that carry the film’s emotional weight.
- The film was selected to represent Saudi Arabia in the Oscars’ international feature race.
- Shahad Ameen’s direction centers on questions of freedom and how individuals negotiate faith and duty.
- The journey exposes how checkpoints and public spaces test the trio’s resolve and honesty.
- The film blends intimate family dynamics with broader cultural commentary on gender roles.
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