Hajjan

Hajjan tells the story of Matar who becomes a camel jockey in order to avenge the death of his brother. But circumstances soon force him to make a run for his life, with his trusted camel as company. 
Hajjan is directed by Egyptian filmmaker Abu Bakr Shawky, whose 2018 film Yomeddine screened in Competition at Cannes: “It is a story that includes elements of Arabic folklore, mixed with the genre of a western,” according to Shawky. “I always wanted to do a desert epic and bring that format to the Middle East, and at the same time make it our own by using elements of Arabic folklore — the desert, good vs evil and racing camels.”

Hajjan had it's world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival and is continuing on the festival circuit until theatre release in 2024.