Unidentified

Twenty-nine year old Noelle Al Saffan moves to the city to start a new life after her divorce. Obsessed with “true crime” podcasts, she takes a job at a police station digitizing their old files. Her official work is mundane but, everything changes when the body of a young woman is discovered in the desert and the officers need a female present to investigate. Noelle jumps at the chance to participate in police work outside of the copy room, and haunted by the girl’s senseless and mysterious death, she launches her own investigation to identify the victim and solve her murder.

Despite repeated warnings from the Police Chief to stay off the case, Noelle uses her ability to connect with other Saudi women to piece together a picture of who the girl was. Following the advice of her favorite video podcast, she investigates everyone who might be connected to the crime. Noelle doggedly pursues the mystery, putting herself in danger and challenging her preconceived notions about women in the Kingdom, the threats they face, and even the motivations that connect her to the victim.

“In Unidentified, women are good, women are bad, and women are everything in between. In a society where a woman’s death can easily go unnoticed, this film makes sure the audience pays attention.” ~Beandrea July, IndieWire

“Unidentified ranks among a rare class of movies that forces viewers to re-interpret everything they’ve just seen once the full picture locks into place…” ~Marshall Shaffer, The Playlist

“Unidentified uses the familiar framework of a murder mystery to tell a deeply political story about autonomy, visibility, and the high cost of speaking up.” ~Sara Clements, Next Best Picture