Shaima Al Fadl plays Wahida, a woman struggling with debilitating tinnitus and wrestling with the loss of her twin sister. Living with her children in her mother’s home after the breakdown of her marriage, Wahida’s unsettled mind leads her to a door, through which she discovers more about her sister’s death. Slowly, the veil between reality and imagination becomes blurred.

While it uses aspects of horror, Al Khaja is not interested in making a genre piece. Instead, these conventions are used to illustrate a woman pushed to her limit, grappling with how death reshapes her reality, and the relationships within it. The filmmaker uses her platform to tell a story that hasn’t been seen on the screen, at least not in this setting. Complex emotions clash with the rigid structure of tradition, in a film that often feels like a scream in the dark, daring you to hear it.

One of the fascinating aspects of the narrative is the dynamic between the family, where every member’s role has shifted slightly through the aftershock of Wahida’s grief. As her mother retreats, we see daughter Amal (Meera Al Midfa) step up into a nurturing position, having to field the concerned questions of her younger brother (Mansoor Alnoamani) and mitigate the harsh criticism of her grandmother (Huda Alghanem).

Indeed, Alghanem’s performance as Umi Fatma opens up an insightful exploration of generational judgement. Alongside Wahida’s grief is the separation from her husband, something her mother condemns regardless of reasoning. It’s a stark reminder of the issues women face in traditional cultures around the world, where marriage is more aligned with duty.

The film’s score and sound design is a marvel. Presenting tinnitus in a way that feels part of the character’s psyche, Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman and sound designer Krishnan Subramanian make the audio elements of the piece dance with Al Khaja’s hard-hitting themes and graceful visuals.

A slightly slow pace aside, Baab is a deeply personal walk through some of the darkest emotions human beings face. Al Khaja continues her journey as a filmmaker who pushes open thematic doors that were previously closed, and asks questions as only an innovator can.

Baab premiered in the 46th edition of the Cairo International Film Festival. We reviewed Nayla’s impressive debut Three two years ago, when it showed at the Red Sea International Film Festival