Every year, film festivals come and go. And while we always prepare for the festivals by looking towards the big-name films with the superstar actors and A-list filmmakers, inevitably, the projects that stick with us and we remember are the surprises. And at Sundance this year, perhaps the biggest surprise was Minhal Baig’s “Hala.”
And thanks to Apple TV+, we now have the first official trailer for the drama. “Hala” tells the powerful story of a Pakistani American teenager, who must deal with all the pressures that come with her familial, cultural, and religious obligations while also coming to terms with her own identity and a secret that could throw her life into chaos.
Earlier this year, “Hala” was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. We caught the film during its run at the fest, and in our review, we wrote, “‘Hala’ is keenly observed and quietly powerful, and we’ll be hearing much more from the talented women on either side of its lens.”
The film stars Geraldine Viswanathan, Jack Kilmer, Gabriel Luna, Anna Chlumsky, Purbi Joshi, and Azad Khan. As mentioned, “Hala” is written and directed by Minhal Baig. This project marks her sophomore film, after her directorial debut in the feature “1 Night” in 2016. She’s also an accomplished writer for the great TV series “BoJack Horseman” and “Ramy.”
“Hala” is expected to arrive in limited release on November 22 before launching on Apple TV+ on December 6.
Here’s the synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Pakistani American teenager (Geraldine Viswanathan) struggles to balance desire with her familial, cultural and religious obligations. As she comes into her own, she grapples with a secret that threatens to unravel her family. Written and directed by Minhal Baig and executive produced by Jada Pinkett Smith, Hala was an official selection of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and 2019 Toronto International Film Festival.