Hobal

Set against breathtaking desert landscapes, the dramatic events in Hobal take place on the brink of the 1990 Gulf war.

As warplanes fly over, a nomadic family living in retreat from urbanity grows increasingly isolated. Its despotic patriarch unflinchingly forbids any member of the family, even the severely ill, from paying a visit to the nearby town on the Saudi-Kuwaiti border to seek treatment or otherwise.

The classic trope of friction between tradition and modernity is further complicated by the soft rebellion staged by various family members.

A massive box-office hit with Saudi Arabian audiences, Hobal pushes the needle on anti-patriarchal representation. It marks filmmaker Abdulaziz Alshlahei’s third feature. Ironically, the film was largely shot in the new Bajdah Studios, near the newly developed city of NEOM. (JH)