First look at the 1990s Saudi Bedouin drama “Hobel” directed by Neom

The upcoming feature film from Saudi director Abdulaziz Alshlahei Höbelabout a Bedouin family living in isolation in the desert because their patriarch believes the end of the world is near, has revealed its first images.

The drama is Alshlahei’s third feature film and collaboration with writer Mufarrij Almajfel thereafter Zero distance And The drum of retribution This was Saudi Arabia’s best international feature entry for the 94th Academy Awards in 2021.

The allegorical image is set in the 1990s, a crucial time of change for Saudi Arabia, triggered by the Gulf War, in which the country briefly began to open up to the outside world after years of isolation, leading to cultural and social conflicts between long-standing Traditions and new waves of change.

In the film, the mother considers rebelling against the patriarch when a young daughter falls ill and requires medical treatment, triggering an urgent need to escape isolation.

Hobal features a strong ensemble cast led by veteran actor Ibrahim Al-Hassawi (Scale) as Patriarch Liam, Mishaal Almutairi (Forty years and one night) as a son and Mila Alzahrani (The perfect candidate) as a mother.

The feature film is set to hit home theaters later this year and is produced by Shaf Studios, with Film Clinic and Peninsula Pictures Group serving as co-producers.

The film is produced by Sharif Almajali, with Abdulaziz Alshlahei, Mofarij Almujfel and Mohamed Al Turki serving as executive producers.

It is also supported by the Daw’ Film Competition, the Saudi Film Commission, the Quality of Life Program and NEOM, with the participation of various private sector partners.

The film was shot in the Bajaddah Bajaddah desert in Neom and parts of Remmah near Riyadh.