‘Desert Warrior’ 

Director: Rupert Wyatt 

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley 

Screening: Dec. 12 

Wyatt’s historical action-thriller is reportedly Saudi Arabia’s most expensive film production to date. It is set in seventh-century Arabia and follows Princess Hind bint Al-Nu’man (Hart), who refuses to serve as a concubine to the Sassanid emperor Kisra (Kingsley). Hind flees with her father, King Numan, to evade mercenaries looking to capture them. Along the way, the pair team up with a desert bandit (Mackie). The story culminates in the pivotal Battle of Dhi Qar. “I feel really honored to play the role,” Hart told Arab News. “I think Hind has a passion and a fire that I also have. But I think she’s a bit more courageous than I am, and I hope that I took some of that courage from her. I feel very lucky to have been able to offer this role to the world.”  

‘Saipan’ 

Directors: Lisa Barros D’Sa, Glenn Leyburn 

Starring: Steve Coogan, Eanna Hardwicke, Alice Lowe 

Screening: Dec. 13 

“I’d heard the story before. But when I read (Paul Fraser’s) script, I realized that it’s almost like a Greek classical drama, even a tragedy.” That’s what co-director Barros D’Sa told The Hollywood Reporter about this sports drama, which recounts the Republic of Ireland’s ill-fated preparations for the 2002 FIFA World Cup on the titular island. Coogan plays Ireland’s English manager, Mick McCarthy, and Hardwicke plays the team’s captain, the highly decorated former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane. The pair clashed over what Keane saw as the unacceptably poor quality of the preparations, from logistics to training. With McCarthy unwilling to back down, Keane ended up being removed from the World Cup squad, causing uproar back home, with public opinion divided over which of the pair was to blame. As Barros D’Sa’s words suggest, though, you don’t need to be a football fan to enjoy the human drama here. 

‘Normal’ 

Director: Ben Wheatley 

Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Henry Winkler, Lena Headey 

Screening: Dec. 13 

Odenkirk continues his transformation into an unlikely action hero. Here, he plays Ulysses, who arrives in the titular small town to serve as its temporary sheriff. While investigating a bank robbery, Ulysses uncovers a criminal conspiracy that seems to involve everyone in town. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Odenkirk compared his character to perhaps his most famous role, lawyer Saul Goodman from “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul.” “I loved playing a person who carried their pain around but didn’t completely succumb to it,” he said. “I think Ulysses is the same kind of guy. I like playing a guy like that and I think I do it well … I probably look like I’m thinking all the time. Because I am … You can see it on my face. That’s a good thing for these characters who carry around a past and use their damage to drive themselves to fix things or be better.” 

‘A Matter of Life and Death’ 

Director: Anas Ba-Tahaf 

Starring: Sarah Taibah, Yaqoub Alfarhan, Hosam Al-Harthy 

Screening: Dec. 13 

This dark Saudi rom-com tells the story of Hayat (Taibah) and Yousef (Alfarhan). The former is a superstitious young woman who is convinced that a curse will mean she dies on her 30th birthday, and has grown to accept her ‘fate.’ The latter is a shy heart surgeon who has long fought to suppress an urge to kill. When they meet, what seems like the perfect opportunity for both of them becomes complicated by their blossoming relationship.  

‘The Wizard of the Kremlin’ 

Director: Olivier Assayas 

Starring: Paul Dano, Jude Law, Alicia Vikander 

Screening: Dec. 13 

Assayas’ darkly humorous political thriller, based on Giuliano da Empoli’s 2022 novel, is set during the collapse of the Soviet Union and the concurrent meteoric rise to power of Vladimir Putin (Law), sparked, in da Empoli’s novel, by his partnership with fictional artist-turned-reality TV producer Vadim Baranov (Dano). “What fascinated me, ultimately, about this film was that it showed the consequences of political evil, but also tried to portray its nature,” Assayas told Variety. “How it works, its inner workings.” 

‘Human Tide’ 

Director: David Ward 

Starring: Yousef Ahmed Bjorn, Naz Hussain, Sofiha Choudhury 

Screening: Dec. 13 

The Emmy Award-winning British director’s documentary about Hajj “provides an intimate look at this spiritual journey through the eyes of six diverse groups of pilgrims, each with personal reasons for making this once-in-a-lifetime trip,” according to the festival synopsis. “These pilgrims welcomed us into their lives with openness, trust and generosity,” Ward wrote on Instagram. “Their stories, hopes and quiet moments of reflection shaped every frame of this film.” 

‘Noor’ 

Director: Omar Almuqarri 

Starring: Prince Nawaf bin Mohammed, Mohammed Noor, Yasser Al-Qahtani 

Screening: Dec. 12 

Documentary following the life of former footballer Mohammed Noor, “who rose from humble beginnings in Makkah to become one of Saudi Arabia’s most celebrated footballers,” according to RSIFF. Noor played almost his entire career for Al-Ittihad, helping them to several domestic and international titles, and representing his country at two World Cups. “This film highlights both his success and personal hardships, delivering a powerful message about resilience and the legacy (Noor) has left for generations to come.”