A Missing Teen Exposes Society’s Limits in Rich Drama

It takes a detour from a pilgrimage to Mecca to uncover true enlightenment in “Hijra,” Shahad Ameen’s compelling sophomore feature, in which the sudden disappearance of one of the two young women in the care of their devout grandmother upends their sacred ritual of Hajj. Selected to represent Saudi Arabia in the Oscars’ international feature race, the intelligently crafted drama shows that in order to find the missing young woman, Sitti (Khairiah Nathmy) and her remaining grandchild Janna (Lamar Faden) must develop greater faith in themselves as they make their way across the country. The writer-director takes a refreshingly less well-trodden path to illustrate cultural strictures that shape their experience.

Ameen’s inspired approach can be seen from the film’s very first frames, as snow is wiped away from the windshield of a bus headed to the holy land, yet the effort to clean only obscures the image. It’s a sneakily appropriate introduction to Sitti, who appears to demand piety from others, eternally cloaked in a pristine white abaya, yet will do what’s convenient for her when the situation calls for it. The director sets the film in 2001 ahead of any upheaval in the country after the U.S. invasion, but “Hijra” imagines a conflict of another kind already stirring when Westernized fast food chains and waxing salons have become a part of a society where camels can still be seen roaming around on thoroughfares.

The sands don’t seem to be shifting quite fast enough for 18-year-old Sarah (Raghad Bokhari), whose headphones — which she uses to tune out any noise on the bus — are a clue that she may not be around for the whole ride. At one point, she disappears into the crowd of worshippers that overwhelms the younger Janna. Later, it is revealed she had plans to cross the border with a boyfriend.

At first, it could seem a little too convenient that Sitti and Janna have no trouble finding a driver to help them…