DHAHRAN: “I tried to be part of the glam side of makeup, but it wasn’t for me,” Hadele Hijazy tells Arab News. Instead, Hijazy turned her talent with the brush to working with actors. “I only do films and theater,” she says.
It’s a talent that runs in her blood. “My mother had a salon, so when we were children, she would teach us how to do makeup—but definitely not clown makeup” she says with a laugh, referring to her latest work, for “Burgher Mahali,” a short Saudi thriller that screened at this year’s Saudi Film Festival.
Watching the film on the big screen at the festival was exhilarating for Hijazy. (Supplied)
The film follows the characters in a burger joint in AlKhobar, where the owner, Awatif (played by Mila Al-Zahrani), faces the threat of her dark secret being revealed by an overeager new employee.
In one scene, actor Abdullah Alsheikh performs as a clown. “That was really fun, because I rarely do clown makeup,” Hijazy says.
Initially, she was considering a “messy” look for the clown, but then she figured that since the character was deeply committed to the restaurant, he likely would have no life outside it, “so he’d be the kind of person that would spend effort, time and money to get his boss’ approval.”
‘Burger Mahali’ still. (Supplied)
And Hijazy’s attention to detail didn’t stop there.
“If you look closely, there’s a subtle sign on the clown’s face — two teardrops. This was the clown’s way of saying that he is suffering silently. That’s my interpretation of the character.”
Awatif’s look was much less eye-catching, but no less considered.
“I really like how Awatif had power even though she didn’t talk that much — she delivered everything only by looks,” Hijazy says. “So I had to make sure that her look, on its own, could tell a story.”
That meant making the normally glamorous model and actress Al-Zahrani look more raw.
“I wanted her to look a bit tired because Awatif isn’t the type of person who would spend time taking care of her looks,” she says. “I even softened Mila’s eyebrows, because she had bold brows, and made sure we emphasized the under-eye bags because she is not the type of woman who takes care of herself or sleeps enough. And, also, pale lips — no color whatsoever, no color on the cheeks, absolutely pale, because that’s the character we wanted.”
‘Burger Mahali’ still. (Supplied)
When it comes to her work, Hijazy is, like Awatif, a woman of few words.
“I’m known for my graphic eyeliners and my graphic look, in general. People would say ‘I like the makeup you’re wearing.’ That’s basically my portfolio.”
That is how she met the writer and director of ‘Burger Mahali,’ Faisal Al-Zahrani, at the 2024 Saudi Film Festival, and agreed to work on a film that never materialized.
“But he kept in touch and was like, ‘I have another project and I really want you in.’ I believed in this movie and it’s so rare that I get booked for this type of makeup, especially in Saudi films: the gory side,” she says.
“I really liked that I had to add blood to a burger, too — I was kind of a food stylist; it was my first time doing that. I had blood ready for the main character and the director said ‘We need blood for the burger.’ So I was, like, ‘Yeah, sure.’”
Watching the film on the big screen at the festival was exhilarating for Hijazy — “I loved that most of the frames that people were taking photos of with their phones had my work within them,” she says — and the fact that it took place at Ithra made it even more special.
“This is where I started,” she says. “When I first came (to the SFF, years ago), no one knew who I was. And I didn’t know anyone. And now I’m a part of a film and my name is printed on the poster — it’s amazing. I do feel like this is where I belong and I would love to continue in this field.”
