Film 2024
Hobal
A family isolated in the desert must decide whether obedience can protect those they love.
- Country collection
- Saudi Arabia
- Original title
- هوبال
- Director
- Abdulaziz Alshlahei
- Year
- 2024
Editorial profile. Availability on LAREINE TV has not been confirmed.
Story, without spoilers
In the early 1990s, the elderly Liyam keeps his family apart from the outside world, convinced that catastrophe is approaching. When Rifeh becomes ill, remaining obedient means accepting a dangerous lack of help. Assaf fears losing her, while her mother seeks a way to save her. The family's refuge becomes the setting for a conflict over who may decide its future.
Context & recognition
Abdulaziz Alshlahei's Saudi drama connects a desert survival story with generational authority. It premiered at the Red Sea festival in 2024 and received the Film AlUla Best Saudi Film award there; its theatrical release followed in 2025.
Main characters
Liyam
The grandfather who imposes the family’s isolation.
Rifeh
The young woman whose illness threatens the household.
Assaf
Her cousin, determined to seek help for her.
Cast
- Mishal Almutairi
- Mila Alzahrani
- Ibrahim Alhasawi