DUBAI: Jordanian filmmaker Zaid Abu Hamdan’s latest feature “BOOMAH” — which was partly supported by Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Fund — is set to make its world premiere at the Shanghai International Film Festival in June.
The movie stars Jordanian actress Rakeen Saad, known for her roles in Netflix’s “AlRawabi School for Girls” and film-festival favorite “Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo,” alongside a cast that includes Majd Eid, Nabil Al-Raee, Joanna Arida, Farah Bsieso and Hanan Hilo.
Set on the margins of Jordanian society, “BOOMAH” follows a feared street enforcer who survives through petty crime and intimidation in an informal underground economy.
Set on the margins of Jordanian society, “BOOMAH” follows a feared street enforcer who survives through petty crime. (Supplied)
Her life is upended when two vulnerable children force her to confront long-buried questions about family, belonging and motherhood. As more organized criminal groups begin to reshape the world around her, she finds herself fighting for survival in a society that has long treated people like her as expendable.
The film was written and directed by Abu Hamdan, whose debut feature, “Daughters of Abdulrahman,” earned widespread acclaim across the Arab world.
Continuing his interest in characters living on society’s fringes, the director said the film was inspired by real women whose stories are often overlooked.
“(The film) was born from very local wounds, but its heart is universal: the need to belong, the pain of being unseen, and what happens when survival and pain become a language,” said Abu Hamdan in a recent press statement.
“I was inspired by stories of real women in Jordan who were feared, judged, and misunderstood, but rarely truly seen. To have the film meet the world for the first time at the Shanghai International Film Festival is a profound honor.”
Produced by Front Row Productions, Bounce Productions and Beyt Al Shawareb, the film received support from the Royal Film Commission – Jordan.
Shanghai has increasingly become an important platform for Arab creators, having previously showcased acclaimed regional titles including “Capernaum,” “The Burdened,” “Curfew” and “Anxious in Beirut.”
