Video: Saudi Arabia’s first female director on the power of film

“People recognise the power of what film can do. I want to move beyond intolerance and everything I’ve been told since I was little, and shape the consciousness of people and how they think and feel,” says Haifaa al-Mansour, Saudi Arabia’s first female film director. Her film “Wadjda” was shot in Saudi Arabia with an all Saudi cast, but can’t be shown there as cinemas are banned. In this video for the World Economic Forum, Haifaa al-Mansour reveals some of the challenges of shooting in Saudi Arabia, including having to direct actors via Walkie-talkie from a production van.

Watch the video for behind the scenes footage and an interview with Haifaa al-Mansour, or read an extract below.

On filming in a man’s world

“The rule in Saudi that men and women cannot work together in public poses certain production challenges. You have to respect local rules and traditions. That’s why we said ok, we’re going to try to shoot the film in Saudi Arabia. No one has ever tried to do this before, but we spoke to people and asked them: “Do you think it is possible?” And the answer was “Yes!” It may not be the easiest thing to do, but making films is not always about choosing the easy way. It was challenging and exciting to shoot a feature film in a country where cinemas are not allowed.”

“There are difficulties that I face as a woman. People in Saudi Arabia are always interested in listening to you, and they always want to learn new things. When a woman is trying to shoot a film in Saudia Arabia, it’s a different story. There were many times I couldn’t leave the van
to be with the actors, and not being able to see them live and give them instructions is a big challenge. I had to direct them through a Walkie-talkie or through the assistant director, and this was sometimes difficult.”

On women’s empowerment

“For those who haven’t seen the film: it’s a film about a girl in Saudi Arabia who wants to raise money for a bicycle in a society that sees a bicycle as a challenge to her virtues. So really we’re talking about a young girl who is seeking her own route for empowerment.”

“I come from a very middle class, normal family, but my parents never compromised my freedom. But whenever I went to school, I was confronted with a different kind of reality where I knew exactly where I stood in the scheme of things. So that space at home allowed me to make films and travel to do things, but all the girls I went to school with had so much potential but they never realised it, because they never had the same support. And some of those were amazing girls who could have changed the world if given the chance.”

On hope for the future

“It took five years to get “Wadjda” off the ground. It’s very personal project, because it’s about my hometown where I grew up. But it’s also about embracing the ideas that make us move away from intolerance; make us embrace what is good in us, hard work, accepting others and loving. And that is what art should do: break all the barriers between religions and cultures and make us understand how to respect each other, love each other and be kind to each other.”

“For me, the biggest accomplishment would be if someone watched the film in Saudi and went home and bought something for his daughter, or understood the struggles little girls go through. And ultimately that will make us a better society, will make us kinder, more accepting and relaxed. I want to tell a story that touches and empowers people, and I know my audience is very conservative and very tribal. They don’t accept me as a person because I make films. I try to tell my stories in a way that still works within where I come from. It’s very important to show respect to the conservatives – people who are different from me – and build bridges.”

Author: Haifaa al-Mansour is a film director from Saudi Arabia. She is one of the country’s best-known and most controversial directors, and the first female Saudi filmmaker.

Image: Film-maker Haifaa Al Mansour from Saudi Arabia captured during the session Directors Cut Wadjda in the congress centre at the Annual Meeting 2015 of the World Economic Forum in Davos.