Aiysha Hart leads ‘Desert Warrior’ in story of power and survival

In 'Desert Warrior', history meets high-stakes spectacle.

Starring Anthony Mackie and directed by Rupert Wyatt ('Rise of the Planet of the Apes), the film stars Aiysha Hart as Hind, a young woman navigating exile, power, and survival in seventh-century Arabia. As rival tribes face external threat and internal division, Hind emerges as an unlikely unifying force in a story that blends action-driven filmmaking with a focus on Arab history and identity.

Hart sat down with Metro to break down the film’s story and what went into bringing it to life onscreen.

What do you typically look for when you're going for roles? What was it about this character or story that made you say, this is something that I think I'd be right for?

When I'm looking at roles, I always try to find a connection with that character. And this ticked so many boxes for me because it's a seminal moment in our history as Arab people. She's an iconic historical Arab figure, who I actually [didn’t] know about, and through reading the script and doing the movie, I learned so much about.

She goes on a huge journey as well: We begin with this wild, feisty, out of control, impulsive girl and we end with this woman who's centered and compassionate and measured and powerful. As an actor, you're always looking for a journey from A to B, so that was one of the things that really enticed me. But also just the representation of an Arab woman in such a positive light because it's not the way, particularly in the West, that Arab women are portrayed.

With your character, Hind, what were some things that you learned about her that maybe surprised you and what can audiences expect for this journey that she goes on?

I think the biggest thing that surprised me was her existence at that time. We are talking about seventh-century Arabia. We meet Hind at the beginning on the run—she has turned down the hand of Emperor Kisra, the leader of the biggest empire at the time. And as a result, her and her father, who is the king, have to flee into the desert to find refuge amongst the veteran tribes who at that time were divided. The idea that this woman unites all these tribes together and faces down an empire… that was probably the biggest surprise. But also such a joy to learn about and portray.

What was it like filming in the desert? Were there different elements to deal with?

Actually, most of the time it was fine. You are still fighting the elements — we started shooting in the summer in Saudi Arabia, so it's hot. Just walking up sand dunes is hard work. So in that respect, you've got that going on. But then I remember the last day on set was late December, and it was freezing. I had to shoot this stunt where I'm basically throwing myself off a horse and have to get myself back up. The wind was so strong and there was kind of a sandstorm, but it was also freezing. So in between takes, I was putting on this thick jacket, which was crazy because the first day we were shooting, I was so boiling, sweating, trying to find shade anywhere. But generally, it was actually fine.

Rupert Wyatt mentioned that even with an action film of this scale, the core is still the human story. What character dynamics were fun for you to explore, whether on screen or off?

It was amazing, we had such a strong connection between us all. You don't go into the desert for four and a half months and live in the same hotel as everyone and don't form a family. You do. But I think an interesting dynamic is Sharlto (Copley) and I. We just have such a fun friendship and we laugh a lot, and then obviously on screen we have a completely different dynamic. But I think that really leans into being able to do more on camera because you trust the person. So even though he's an antagonist for my character and he's got a knife to my neck, we then cut and we're laughing about something. And then similarly with Anthony (Mackie), one of the things that I really love about Hind and Hanzala is that they're not very self-aware about their relationship.

I think it's kind of funny without them knowing it's funny because they're mirrors of one another, they dislike each other so much and they're more similar than they know because they're both very defensive. They're lone wolves, they're outcasts and I always see their dynamic as being one of those moments in life where you meet someone and they're there for a moment and you change one another and then you go your separate ways. And one of the things I really loved about this story was that there was no romance. To have a female lead being a character who leads these men, but there is no romantic story—her love is to her people and her duty and herself. So that was really nice.

Overall, what do you hope audiences take away from ‘Desert Warrior’?

I think it's such a unique film. So I  hope people watch it and learn something about our history as Arabs and a story that we are proud of in the region. It's a story about unity and the underdog overcoming adversity, which I think we can all connect to. But on a personal level, I think to see an Arab woman from history, making history means a lot… for Arab audiences and global audiences.

‘Desert Warrior’ releases in theaters April 24.