Shooting Wraps On First Ever Feature Film Made In Saudi Arabia
Wednesday 9th May 2012 is a date that any world cinema fan should try and remember. It was the day that Wadjda, the first feature-length film ever to be shot in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, completed principal photography.
Haifaa al-Mansour is Saudi Arabia's first female filmmaker.
Written and directed by Saudi Arabia’s first female filmmaker, Haifaa al-Mansour, the film tells the uplifting story of an eleven-year-old girl growing up in the suburbs of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Challenging the complex and restrictive framework of her traditional society, she attempts to attain her forbidden dream: a green bicycle.
Haifaa al-Mansour, who has a Masters in Film studies from Sydney University, had previously directed three short films and the award-winning documentary Women Without Shadows. She has already gained recognition for penetrating the wall of silence surrounding the sequestered lives of Saudi women and providing a platform for their unheard voices.
“I’m so proud to have shot the first full-length feature ever filmed entirely inside the Kingdom,” said Haifaa al-Mansour recently, “I come from a small town in Saudi Arabia where there are many girls like Wadjda who have big dreams, strong characters and so much potential. These girls can, and will, reshape and redefine our nation. I hope the film will offer a unique insight into my own country and speak to universal themes of hope and perseverance that people of all cultures can relate to.”
The German-Saudi co-production sees Razor Films team up with Rotana Studios and stars one of Saudi Arabia’s best known television actresses, Reem Abdulla. Director of Photography, Lutz Reitemeyer, was recently awarded a Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival for his work on White Deer Plain (2011). Koch Media will be releasing Wadjda in Germany in spring 2013, so look forward to a UK release shortly after.
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By Daryl Wing
Daryl Wing often struggles with a day job he has no interest in, a degree in
writing for film and television that has no interest in him now Fireman Sam…
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