DUBAI: Saudi talent Sarah Taibah’s latest film “Hoba” (“The Vile”), an Emirati horror film directed by Majid Al-Ansari, opened in theatres across the Kingdom this weekend.
A few days ahead of the Saudi release, Taibah made an appearance on the red carpet at the opening ceremony of the Doha Film Festival 2025, which is part of the broader Qatar Creates cultural initiative. She attended the event wearing the Midi Araya Dress from Saudi designer Shahd Al-Shehail's sustainable luxury label Abadia, a piece that caught attention at October’s Riyadh Fashion Week.
“Hoba” tells the story of a devoted wife and mother — Amani, played by Bdoor Mohammed — whose life begins to unravel when her husband returns home with a second wife, Zahra (Taibah), and an unseen dark force infiltrates her home.
Taibah — an artist, writer, filmmaker and actor — previously told Arab News about her performance in “Hoba,” directed by Al-Ansari, known for the critically acclaimed 2015 film “Zinzana.”
She said: “I got so excited about ‘Hoba’ for two reasons: First, I like the director — I remember seeing his first film, and I thought that he does things differently. Second, I really appreciated him not typecasting me. I’m always cast by directors in certain roles that are really similar to my character — as Sarah — but with Majid, he saw something else. The character couldn’t be more different than me. I’ve never been this challenged, not only because she’s the villain of the movie, but also because it allowed me to experience different techniques, to tap into something a bit supernatural, something I have zero clue how to relate to.”
Taibah will showcase her versatility at the upcoming Red Sea International Film Festival, running from Dec. 4-13, where she will attend the premiere of “A Matter of Life and Death.”
Billed as a quirky love story, the film is set in Jeddah. It follows superstitious Hayat, played by Taibah, who is “convinced a generational curse will kill her on her 30th birthday.”
In addition, the storyline features “the brilliant but shy heart surgeon Yousef (who) suffers from a slow heartbeat, finding his only thrill when holding a scalpel. He grapples with a hidden urge to kill, which he suppresses until he meets Hayat.
“Fate entwines the woman who wants to die and the man who wants to kill, setting a tragic plan in motion.”
