THE SEATTLE FILM FESTIVAL 2026 REVIEW! Al Mhajba: The Girl In The Veil is a horror short written, directed, produced, and co-starring Melissa Mars; she also served as the director of photography. The film is personal, beyond the blood and sweat the filmmaker put into its production, as it taps into social and cultural aspects of Algeria, where it is set, which connects to Mars’s upbringing. Does the director balance the horror and themes equally?
At a school, a girl (Maria) is dribbling a soccer ball. Two boys (Roufa and Saif) give her a hard time, proclaiming that soccer is not for women. This greatly upsets the girl, who runs off. The boys then enter their class, wherein the teacher (Mars) gives them their daily assignment. But their bullying awoke a spirit of a schoolgirl hell-bent on vengeance. Are the boys going to pay for their disrespect? Will the tomboy live the life she wants?
Al Mhajba: The Girl In The Veil does lean a little more on the drama than the horror. The short runs less than 10 minutes long, and the first two are the set-up. The final two wrap it all up. That just leaves 5 minutes or so to create chills and put the characters in scary situations. Within those middle 4 minutes, give or take, creepy imagery abounds, and the atmosphere is tight and claustrophobic, despite the setting being a whole school. So it’s not as if the short is devoid of frights; it is just not as prevalent as the poster may lead one to believe.
“…bullying awoke a spirit of a schoolgirl hell-bent on vengeance. Are the boys going to pay for their disrespect?”
The drama side of things is fantastic. The girl’s plight and the teacher’s connection to everything are established in two shots. The ending works so well and is truly moving. The amazing cinematography creates an eerie vibe, while the sound design gives this haunting world a real weight.
The acting is also good. The boys feel truly scared. The little girl comes across as quite determined from the jump. Mars wears her heart on her sleeve as the well-meaning teacher. The body movements of the titular character create a really creepy scene.
Al Mhajba: The Girl In The Veil is an interesting short. The drama and horror work, even if the former is very much the point. The acting is good, while the look and feel of the film is mysterious and eerie. Mars’s labor of love is well worth the journey.
Al Mhajba: The Girl In The Veil screened at the 2026 The Seattle Film Festival.
"…mysterious and eerie."
