Synopsis

Alia, a Muslim-American teenager, is caught between her Islamic upbringing and an oversexed high-school culture. A secret night out with friends ends in an unexpected confrontation with her father.

Director's Statement

The hijab is the traditional head covering that Muslim women wear to convey modesty and piety. It has also become a flash-point for the so-called “clash of civilizations” between the Muslim and non-Muslim worlds. For some, it is a potent symbol of the inherently repressive and misogynistic nature of Islam, yet for others it is a way to reject Western objectification of the female form. Yet in both worlds the issue of the hijab highlights the male response to the “spectre” of female sexuality and the impulse to either confine or exploit it. 'Hijabi' follows the story of Alia, a young Muslim-American girl, navigating her own sexual identity against this context.