HAJJAN

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan | 2023 | Arabic dialogue with English subtitles l 117 min

SYNOPSIS

Hajjan is both an adventure story and a moving account of the deep bond that can develop between human and animal. Matar is the youngest child in a Saudi family of camel jockeys. When his brother falls during a race and is killed, Matar is supposed to move in with family in the city while his own camel, Hofara, is sold for meat. Instead he becomes a jockey himself, working for a ruthless racing baron until he and Hofara are forced to go on the run together, making a life-threatening journey through the desert in search of freedom and a better life. Shot largely in Tabuk on Saudi’s Red Sea coast.