Haifaa Al-Mansour
- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Haifaa Al Mansour is the first female filmmaker in Saudi Arabia and is
regarded as one of the most significant cinematic figures in the
Kingdom. She finished her bachelor's degree in Literature at the
American University in Cairo and completed a Master's degree in
Directing and Film Studies from the University of Sydney. The success
of her three short films, as well as the international acclaim of her
award-winning 2005 documentary Women Without Shadows, influenced a
whole new wave of Saudi filmmakers and made the issue of opening
cinemas in the Kingdom a front-page discussion. Within the Kingdom her
work is both praised and vilified for encouraging discussion on topics
generally considered too taboo, like tolerance, the dangers of
orthodoxy, and the need for Saudis to take a critical look at their
traditional and restrictive culture.
