Hala

Hala is a 2019 American drama film written and directed by Minhal Baig. The film was screened in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Hala was released in a limited release on November 22, 2019, followed by digital streaming on December 6, 2019, by AppleTV+.

Production
In November 2017, Geraldine Viswanathan, Jack Kilmer, Anna Chlumsky, Gabriel Luna, Purbi Joshi and Azad Khan joined the cast of the film, with Minhal Baig directing from a screenplay she wrote.

Release
It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2019. Shortly after, AppleTV+ acquired distribution rights to the film. It was released in a limited release on November 22, 2019, followed by digital streaming on December 6, 2019.

Reception
Hala received positive reviews from film critics. It holds a 90% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 29 reviews, with a weighted average of 7.48/10.[5] On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 75 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating “generally favorable reviews”.[6] However, it has received criticism for its love story between Hala and her love interest, with some calling this an “orientalist love story” and a “white savior complex”. Others have called it Islamophobic.

• Hala