
“[O]ne of the quirkiest local romantic comedies to come out of Saudi Arabia since the lifting of its 35-year cinema ban in 2017.”
—Deadline
—Deadline
A Matter of Life and Death
Sat, Jul 18, 2026
- Part of
- Contemporary Arab Cinema and
- BAM Film 2026
Directed by Anas Ba-Tahaf (2025)
With
Sarah Taibah, Yaqoub Al-Farhan
Haya grew up in the shadow of a curse’s promise that she would die at 30. After a series of failed attempts to end her life—an effort to take her fate into her own hands—she crosses paths with a brilliant but emotionally withdrawn surgeon. Youssef, who suffers from an abnormally slow heartbeat and only truly feels alive when he's operating and holding a scalpel, might be just who Haya has been looking for. Her request that Youssef kill her kicks off a flowering relationship, and a surprisingly uplifting exploration of the existential struggles that plague so many on the precipice of entering their thirties.
“[O]ne of the quirkiest local romantic comedies to come out of Saudi Arabia since the lifting of its 35-year cinema ban in 2017.”
—Deadline
—Deadline
UPCOMING Screenings
RUNNING TIME
115min
VENUE
FORMAT
DCP
LANGUAGE
In Arabic with English subtitles
TICKET INFORMATION
General Admission: $17
Members: $12
Please note: A $2 handling fee per ticket will be added to your order.
Leadership support for
BAM’s strategic initiatives provided by:
Leadership support for
BAM Access Programs provided by
the Jerome L. Greene Foundation
Leadership support for
BAM programming provided by:
Leadership support for
BAM Film provided by
The Thompson Family Foundation
Major support for programs in
the Lepercq Cinema is provided by
The Lepercq Charitable Foundation
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