Celebrating Resistance and Defying Expectations - Post 5

Filmmakers and artists who defy expectations and challenge stereotypes often have a compelling story to tell and a rhetoric to defy. Haifaa Al-Mansour is an example of just that. A Saudi film director who doesn't' fit into the typical misrepresentations often associated with female artists from the Middle East. She grew up in a mostly conservative small town in Saudi Arabia; however, her family wasn't as conservative as the community they lived in, as a result, she grew up with an understanding of what it means to be different. Later, she pursued her college education at The American University in Cairo and dedicated two years for film school in Sydney, Australia. She wrote and directed her debut film, Wadjda, which won the 2012 Venice Film Festival. Other films she directed and produced include: Who?, The Bitter Journey, The Only Way Out, and Women Without Shadows. 

 I specifically enjoyed Wadjda and Women Without Shadows. On the one hand, Wadjda, is the only feature-length film to be entirely filmed in Saudi Arabia by a female director. In addition, the content challenges stereotypical and sexist societal ideologies. In Wadjda, an 11 year-old girl wants to buy a bicycle to race her classmate; however, cycling is deemed inappropriate and is frowned upon for girls in her community. Her parents refuse to buy her a bike too. Through a series of trials and attempts Wadjda, played by Waad Mohammed, ends with the bike she's been dreaming of and beats her classmate at the end of the film. In an interview, Al-Mansour says about writing a female lead character: "It's very important to celebrate resistance, pursuing one's dreams. Sometimes, it's easy to make a character in a place such as Saudi a victim; people exploit them, they give up hope."

In Women Without Shadows, a documentary film interviewing women in Saudi, Al-Mansour, narrates her intent for making this film:

"When I decided to make a film about Saudi women, I was sure a lot of people thought Saudi women are somewhat mysterious and recall certain names of female writers, academics, entrepreneurs, and pioneers, who with no doubt have accomplished a lot for themselves and their societies (or challenged their societies and created a lot of controversy). Each one of them, for sure, has an interesting story and deserves awe and recognition. But, the woman I was looking for to focus on in this film, lives a different life and has a long way to go."

Having spent the majority of my childhood in a similar environment to what Al-Mansour establishes in her films, I look back with both amusement and nostalgia. The filmmaker does not wish to challenge authorities or to disrupt people's ideas of gender roles, prematurely or otherwise before they are ready for that change. She understands that change does and will take time. And that's ok. She offers an alternative narrative, one of which should be introduced in schools and elicit conversation in households. Perhaps, her peaceful and non-confrontational approach could in fact become the ideal help many societies need to move forward.

Works Cited

Hoggard, Liz. "Haifaa Al-Mansour: 'It's Very Important to Celebrate Resistance'"The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 13 July 2013. Web.