Hajjan Film

Hajjan (Camel Jockey) is a Saudi Arabian feature film produced by King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture 'Ithra' in 2023 in collaboration with 'Film Clinic,' with support from the Film Commission through the Financial Refunds Incentive Program. The film tells a story rooted in the richness of Saudi local culture, exploring the emotional bond between camels and their owners. It was screened in cinemas coinciding Saudi Arabia's announcement of 2024 as the 'Year of the Camel.'

The film premiered at the forty-eighth Toronto International Film Festival in 2023. It was also screened at the twenty-sixth Arab Film Festival in San Francisco and the third edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival.

In early 2024, coinciding with the 'Year of the Camel,' Hajja Film was displayed across seventy-three cinema screens in Saudi Arabia for four weeks. The film was also screened at global festivals and events such as: the Diriyah Biennale 2024, the Gulf Film Festival, the Malmö Arab Film Festival, the Saudi Film Nights in Morocco, the Hollywood Arab Film Festival, and the Rotterdam Arab Film Festival. It was also screened at the Sydney Opera House and the Sofitel Hotel Cinema in Melbourne City as part of the 'Saudi Film Nights' event in 2024.

The film Hajjan, with a runtime of 120-minute tells the story of an orphan boy named 'Matar,' who shares a deep connection with his camel, 'Hofira.' The boy lives in a desert region in Saudi Arabia, and his life takes a tragic turn when his elder brother dies, leaving Hofira at risk of being sold for slaughter. Consequently, the boy 'Matar' enters the world of camel racing to save his beloved camel 'Hofira.'

The film is directed by Abu Bakr Shawky and written by Mufarrij Almajfel, Omar Shama, and Abu Bakr Shawky. The main cast includes Abdulmohsen al-Nimr, Ibrahim al-Hasawi, Shaimaa al-Tayeb, Azzam Nemr, Omar al-Atawi, Toleen Barbood, and Mohammed Hilal.

The film was initially titled Bahr al-Rimal 'Sea of Sand' and was co-produced with Mohamed Hefzy of (Film Clinic), who served as the executive producer and distributor for the Arab world. The film was shot in the Tabuk Province along the Red Sea coast in northwestern Saudi Arabia, an area rich in natural landscapes and heritage. The filming took approximately two years.

Hajjan Film won nearly ten cinematic awards at local and international film festivals, including the Best Feature Film Award. Its actor, Omar al-Atawi, received the Best Actor Award, and the cinematographer Jerry Fassbender won the Best Cinematography Award at the fourth Gulf Film Festival, organized by the Film Commission in Riyadh City, in 2024. Critics who watched the film praised it as a significant milestone for Saudi cinema. The audience also appreciated the opening folk poem, and its resonance with Saudi folklore.