A Closer Look: Women in the Saudi Filmmaking Industry

Saudi actress and director Reem Al Habib remembers the “guerrilla work” that the cast and crew had to do while filming the 2012 web series Takki in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Up until 2018, cinemas were banned in the kingdom. But with a young demographic (over two-thirds of the country’s population is under the age of 35) and the rise of social media, an underground film industry had long been brewing.

“You didn’t want to attract attention or be questioned, so it was just really quick guerrilla acting, directing,” she says. The amateur production was uploaded on YouTube and overnight, Al Habib — playing the role of a character’s mother — became a recognizable face. “It was a very confusing situation,” she explains.

“On one hand, there were so many fans who loved and appreciated my performance. It made me so happy.”

“On the other, it was very hurtful because family members were calling and sending [awful] texts to my husband. I was harassed on social media with comments like ‘You are cheap and shameful. You don’t deserve to be Saudi.’”
Despite social and cultural challenges, Al Habib persisted, going on to star in more than 11 productions and playing an upcoming role in Kandahar, the first big-budget Hollywood film shot in Saudi Arabia.

The filmmaking industry

In 2016, the oil-rich country announced Vision 2030, a plan to diversify the economy with entertainment and tourism. Where cinemas were banned in the country only four years ago, the economic, social, and cultural reform now includes a $500 million investment toward making Saudi a global film production hub. The market for Saudi cinema is expected to be worth more than $1.2 billion, contribute more than $24 billion to the economy, and create 30,000 jobs by the end of 2030.

The roadmap includes grant funding for regional films, cash rebates for local and international productions, ease of business, regulatory framework, infrastructure, and talent development.

While the industry is male-dominated, women are catching up. A recent British Council study reports that 72% of those surveyed in the field (nearly 400 filmmakers, cast, and crew) are young people under the age of 30, and out of these, 34% are female.

Qualitatively, filmmakers and actors including Haifaa Al-Mansour of Wadjda, Fatima Al-Banawi of Barakah Meets Barakah, Mila Al Zahrani of The Perfect Candidate, and Sara Mesfer of Girls Who Burned the Night have gone on to achieve regional and international recognition.

Effat University, a women’s university in Jeddah, has been offering a degree program in cinematic arts that has graduated more than 150 women since 2013. “Prior to the opening of cinemas, women were joining the program solely for their love for cinema,” says Mohamed Ghazala, chair of the program. While only four years ago, graduates had limited options (either pursuing higher education abroad or working in advertising), opportunities for aspiring filmmakers are now abundant.

The university is currently partnering with governmental entities to support the filmmaking ecosystem of the country by providing internships and in-house training, and bringing instructors from around the world to impart media production skills. Earlier this year, the program opened enrollment for male students.

A new wave of female storytellers

Speaking about the kind of stories Saudi Arabia is exporting, Ghazala says that previously, Saudi shows or broadcasts were dominated by men and women’s issues were hardly discussed.

“A new wave of female storytellers are now telling personal stories of [what transpires] inside the house.”

These stories touch on topics like dating in a gender-segregated country, a woman running for city council, a mother-daughter relationship, and a young girl reaching puberty.

He adds that the recently released anthology film Becoming features five stories that are directed by women, and each storyline offers perspectives on taboo topics and obstacles that women face.

“Saudi society is unique in terms of how they address these topics,” he says.

For Al Habib, who has previously directed a television series and has an upcoming venture with Netflix, the main motivation to start directing was the realization that there are not enough female directors in the Saudi film industry. “With gender segregation, men are not exposed to women and therefore cannot write on behalf of women,” she says. “The women in a film or series are usually playing a supporting or secondary role. We are still writing about external conflict.”

“I am interested in complex personalities, nuanced characters, and films that explore the psyche,” she adds. Al Habib also hopes to bring biographical stories of female heroes and warriors of the Islamic and Arab world to the big screen.

Like Al Habib, Sarah Taibah, creator, writer, and actress, wants to see more nuanced, authentic roles for women. With male-directed ventures, Taibah explains, there is always a certain type of role that the female lead is expected to play. “When men write women, they use their looks to describe them,” she adds.

Speaking about her latest dark comedy series, Jameel Jeddan (A Beautiful World), for which she was the creator, writer, and lead actor, Taibah says that it’s not a “typical, clichéd role of a cute girl” who serves solely as the love interest. It is, rather, about a woman who has several layers to her character, and a storyline that demonstrates her wants and needs. She adds that doesn’t necessarily go out seeking “Saudi causes.”

“Sometimes there is a risk of fetishizing our causes,” she says. “We are normal people and problems exist everywhere. I look for real stories.” The show has a universal appeal, but it is uniquely Saudi in that the vibrant, portside city of Jeddah plays a main role in the film.

Although Taibah has yet to venture into directing, she was grateful to have a male director who advocated for a female co-director to provide perspective on an all-female set and shoot.

Uniquely Saudi

Actor Sumayah Rida believes that the industry has taken a quantum leap in a very short time. “We are making history for future generations of Saudi male and female actors. I am lucky to experience this era of change,” she says.

Rida hopes to see content that narrates the unique stories of Saudis and Saudi Arabia. She also hopes to see authentic Muslim female representation on screen. “Muslim women are strong and independent. They have the agency to make their own choices. As an artist and storyteller, it is important for me to clear this misconception.”

While Western cinema often has a negative or misleading portrayal of Arab women, now Saudis can tell their own stories, Ghazala adds.

“Now they are qualified, professional, trained and well-equipped to tell their own stories.”