Khawlah Halawani

Picture the Bajdah Desert’s red sand baked by 27°C (81°F) temperatures. You’re dripping, not with water, but with sweat. Long, yet gripping hours fill the day. Does it sound like an ideal work environment? For Khawlah Halawani – a freelance second assistant camera operator and still photographer based in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – this type of challenging setting is exactly what she craves. In fact, it’s right where she found herself after landing a position in the camera department of Hollywood’s Desert Warrior.

As a freshman on the scene, it was Khawlah’s grit and curiosity that fueled her success during the Desert Warrior production. Much to her liking, the film’s technical complexity broadened her horizons. “I really gained a lot of skills, and I was ready after that to…work as second AC,” she explains.

Let’s rewind for a moment: who is Khawlah Halawani?

Before Desert Warrior, before university, Khawlah was a director — of home movies, that is! She recalls childhood weekends spent recording her siblings as they recreated their favorite TV shows. It’s a passion that’s stayed consistent. “Photography and videography are what I enjoy most,” Khawlah says. Naturally, when it came time to enroll in higher education, she knew these interests would drive her future career, which is why she chose to pursue a filmmaking degree at Effat University.

At the collegiate level, Khawlah began working on short films. Smaller-scale projects like these encouraged creativity and critical thinking. Imagine a makeshift camera rig, a pile of cable adapters, and an extraordinarily long HDMI cord – that’s just one example of Khawlah’s ingenuity to get the job done. These learning opportunities at Effat helped Khawlah build a foundation strong enough to jump right into the film industry.

Now, four years post-graduation, Khawlah can’t help but appreciate the transformative nature of her work. The trajectory of her mastery has been on a steady incline, spiking with each new professional experience. The sets are filled with “so much rich information,” she says. It’s this growth that motivates her: “When you see the progress… you feel [a] push to work.”

In fact, Khawlah’s time on the set of Desert Warrior played a pivotal role in developing her understanding of the film industry. What’s more, it expanded her network: “It was the first time I dealt with people from different areas of the world,” she continues. “Some were from the United States… Mexico, some from Spain… Finland.” Embracing other cultures was key to uniting everyone’s varied expertise. The diversity enhanced more than just her professional abilities: “You learn new… life skills. It builds your character.”

It’s this open-minded perspective that allows Khawlah to handle obstacles attached to filmmaking. She happily tackles working in tough locations or utilizing more intricate equipment like cranes and drones. It gives her the chance to learn – to see how different strategies are employed. Gaining knowledge from observing colleagues has led to a spike in her confidence: “You know how to use different techniques to help you deliver the story,” she says.

At the end of the day, Khawlah admits that “being a female working in the film industry is not easy, but when you love what you’re doing, everything works out.” She stresses how important it is to “focus on the good things and ignore the bad.” In a short time, Khawlah has gone from a camera department intern to a second assistant camera operator. She’s worked with stars like Anthony Mackie and filmed in multiple locations within Saudi Arabia including Jeddah, Tabuk (Neom), Riyadh, and Alula. She has also worked internationally in Tunisia, the United Kingdom, and Estonia.

By her side through the journey, sharing in her success, has been her loved ones. Khawlah says the struggles become worth it “when you feel the support from your family and friends. It’s nice.”

Khawlah’s story is far from over. With her goal of becoming a cinematographer in mind, she’s looking for opportunities to serve as a first AC, maintaining her progression forward. Of course, she’ll also continue specializing in portrait and fashion photography! Be sure to get a closer look at her work on Instagram @khhalawani, which feels less like scrolling social media as it does walking through an art museum!

Written by Sydney Leclerc