A 16-year-old Muslim teenager Hala (Tess Granfield) as she attempts to explore her sexuality and identity while growing up in a conservative, religious household. The film starkly opens as we see Hala masturbate, only to be interrupted by her mother asking why she missed suhoor, a pre-dawn meal eaten while fasting during Ramadan.
Then, while skateboarding at a park, she meets Jesse (Jasper Newman), and the two share an immediate connection. While she embarks on a relationship with him, she sees her parents’ relationship disintegrate as they argue about religious guidelines and the way they raise Hala. Eventually, it becomes impossible for Hala to exist between her two separate “lives.”
Hala is a 2019 American independent drama film written and directed by Minhal Baig and starring Geraldine Viswanathan, Jack Kilmer, Gabriel Luna, Purbi Joshi, Azad Khan, Anna Chlumsky, Charin Alvarez, Ahmed Lucan, Raven Whitley, Bianca Corral, Alka Nayyar. It was screened in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2019. Shortly after, AppleTV+ acquired distribution rights to the film.
Hala (2019)
Directed by: Minhal Baig
Starring: Geraldine Viswanathan, Jack Kilmer, Gabriel Luna, Purbi Joshi, Azad Khan, Anna Chlumsky, Charin Alvarez, Ahmed Lucan, Raven Whitley, Bianca Corral, Alka Nayyar
Screenplay by: Minhal Baig
Production Design by: Sue Tebbutt
Cinematography by: Carolina Costa
Film Editing by: Saela Davis
Art Direction by: Patrick McGee
Music by: Mandy Hoffman
MPAA Rating: R for a scene of sexuality.
Distributed by: Apple TV+
Release Date: November 22, 2019
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