A coming-of-age tale, a story of self-knowledge and a spiritual journey that spans the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Hijra is many things. Premiering in the Venezia Spotlight section of this year’s Venice Film Festival, it begins in 2001 in Taif, as a young girl, Sarah, her sister Janna and their grandmother Sitti take a bus to Makkah to perform Hajj.
Janna (Lamar Faden) steals her sister’s Walkman, plugging herself into a musical fantasia that spirits her away from her strict upbringing.
When the bus pulls up, Sarah (Raghad Bokhari) disappears. Sitti (Khairiah Nathmy) is apoplectic, fearing Sarah’s father will find out, and believing she may have run off to Jeddah with a young man. So begins her cross-country odyssey with Janna in search of the runaway. For Janna, it is a trip that will define her maturing into adulthood.
“You are not a child any more. You are becoming a woman. People will judge you,” says the strict and deeply religious Sitti, who believes she must demonstrate a righteous path for her granddaughter to tread.
This is amplified when they meet Janna’s aunt (Ghaliah Amin), working as a beauty therapist in a spa. “Do you call this a job?” spits Sitti, who believes Sarah has learnt her free-spirited behaviour from her aunt. She appears to cling to traditions, unable to accept that younger generations are seeking something different in life. And so Hijra, written and directed by Saudi filmmaker Shahad Ameen (whose 2019 prize-winning movie Scales also premiered in Venice) and filmed in Neom, sets itself up as a clash between old and young.
Ameen ensures we fall for the characters, despite their differences. Much of the film is a three-hander, as Janna and her grandmother find a driver, Ahmed (Nawaf Al-Dhufairy), to take them on their search. Initially, they are suspicious of him, believing he is a scammer selling fake sacred water. But gradually, they forge a bond – one that’s almost as tight as the pinkie swear between Janna and Sarah, a promise that resonates hauntingly later on.
“I’m an outlaw who never committed a crime,” Ahmed tells Janna as they grow closer. He even sings a snatch of Bob Marley’s No Woman, No Cry, while dispensing homespun wisdom such as: “Camels are like Arabs – they never forget.”
Hijra loses its way for a while, as the trio discover that Sarah may have absconded to Egypt. The pacing flags and the focus loses it sharpness. But even here there are moments to cherish, such as Sitti teaching her granddaughter about astronomy and the stars in the sky. Fortunately, Hijra picks up in the final act as Janna and Sitti find common ground when shocking revelations tumble forth.
Throughout, this co-production between Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt and the United Kingdom is an artful watch, with Chilean cinematographer Miguel Ioan Littin-Menz finding poetry in the rough-hewn desert landscapes. Also working on the film’s look in collaboration with Ali Saad is British production designer Chris Richmond, whose work includes 2011's Dreams of a Life.
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
As these names suggest, there’s craft and care in the film, and experience that turns this into a highly watchable character study. The central performances all impress, especially the young Faden, cheekily munching on an ice cream one minute, looking withdrawn and insular the next. Building slowly towards a poignant, poetic conclusion, Janna comes to realise she’s not just on the cusp of adulthood. Rather, she is about enter a world where emotions and motivations are far more complex than she could ever have imagined.
The%C2%A0specs%20
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Mrs%20Chatterjee%20Vs%20Norway
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more from Janine di Giovanni
RESULT
Al Hilal 4 Persepolis 0
Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Company%20profile
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Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
The Al Barzakh Festival takes place on Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm in the Red Theatre, NYUAD, Saadiyat Island. Tickets cost Dh105 for adults from platinumlist.net
Sunday's Super Four matches
Dubai, 3.30pm
India v Pakistan
Abu Dhabi, 3.30pm
Bangladesh v Afghanistan
THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS
Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.
Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.
Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.
Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
Cracks in the Wall
Ben White, Pluto Press
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Mercedes V250 Avantgarde specs
Engine: 2.0-litre in-line four-cylinder turbo
Gearbox: 7-speed automatic
Power: 211hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 350Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.0 l/100 km
Price: Dh235,000
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
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Anna and the Apocalypse
Director: John McPhail
Starring: Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Mark Benton
Three stars
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ZIMBABWE V UAE, ODI SERIES
All matches at the Harare Sports Club:
1st ODI, Wednesday - Zimbabwe won by 7 wickets
2nd ODI, Friday, April 12
3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14
4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
