Rehana Maryam Noor(HKAFF 2021)

Director Abdullah Mohammad Saad pulls no punches in this harrowing portrait of a woman seeking justice, no matter the cost. Medical school professor Rehana Maryam Noor is a rigid taskmaster who hears a student being assaulted by a senior professor in a neighboring office. Unable to get the student to come forward with her experience, Rehana finds her righteous resolve spiralling into obsession, and she ultimately goes to extremes by telling the tallest of tales to ensure justice is done. Claustrophobic with its bluish hues and immersive in its camerawork, Saad concocts a discomfiting cinematic powder keg that explores the enraging abuse perpetrated by sexist men, and also how the single-minded pursuit of justice can lead us into darkness.