DUBAI: The cast and crew of the Saudi film “Hijra” have attended a reception hosted by Film AlUla at the Venice Film Festival.
The reception took place after the premiere screening of “Hijra,” with guests invited to the St. Regis Venice after the credits rolled.
Saudi director Shahad Ameen was on hand at the event, alongside stars Khairia Nazmi and Lamar Faden.
The film follows a grandmother (Nazmi) and her granddaughter (Faden) as they journey across northern Saudi Arabia to find a missing teenage girl.
Shot over about 55 days in eight Saudi cities — Taif, Jeddah, Madinah, Wadi Al-Faraa, AlUla, Tabuk, Neom, and Duba — the story unfolds against the backdrop of Hajj.
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Foundation has returned to the 82nd edition of the world’s longest running film festival to present a strong lineup of films and industry initiatives to reinforce its commitment to nurturing emerging talent from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, Africa and Asia.
“Hijra” is among the highlights, while Lebanese filmmaker Cyril Aris’ “A Sad and Beautiful World” — a drama developed with the support of the Red Sea Labs, Red Sea Fund and Red Sea Souk — is also being featured.
Algerian director Yanis Koussim’s “Roqia” and Sudanese filmmaker Suzannah Mirghani’s “Cotton Queen” are both being screened in the Venice Critics’ Week section, offering urgent narratives that reflect the complexity of contemporary Arab identity. Completing the lineup is Damien Hauser’s “Memory of Princess Mumbi.”
