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,

See Full Page