SALEEG
Genre
Drama
Running time
10 minutes
Year
2022
Language
Arabic and Urdu
Subtitle
English
Country
Saudi Arabia
Director
Afnan Bawyan
Bio
Producer
Afnan Bawyan, Mariam Khayat
Cast
Scriptwriter
Afnan Bawyan
Sixty-year-old Hajer is preparing saleeg – Jeddah’s famous rice dish – for a special dinner with her son. Needing vegetables, she rushes outside when she hears the Indian grocer’s bell, but neglects to cover the pot. She wrangles with the vegetable seller; then her son calls to say he isn’t coming. Meanwhile in the kitchen, the rice has fallen into the boiling water where it has expanded, overflowed and is soon billowing through the house and out into the yard, carrying Hajer with it. At last, the neighbours see what is happening and rush to help, shovelling saleeg on to every available plate. After which, everyone being gathered, they join Hajer for a meal that turns out to be special after all.
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