Page 43 - Shahrvand BC No. 1257
P. 43
English Section
43 Saudi Arabia's First Feature-Length Film
Was Directed by a Woman. Here's Her Story
"Wadjda" director Haifaa Al Mansour talks about her groundbreaking film and watching the Coen Brothers as a kid in Saudi Arabia.
1392 رویرهش29 جمعه- 1257 شماره/ سال متسیب —By Asawin Suebsaeng Arab nation does pour a lot of money into television
and soap operas, however.)
In touch with Iranian diversity -- Mother Jones political reform any time soon. Conditions and "People want to know how you make films in
rights for women in the country have long been a a conservative culture like [Saudi Arabia]," Al
The critically acclaimed new disaster and moral outrage, although there are signs Mansour (whose previous work includes the short
movie Wadjda is not just the of some possible liberalization down the road. The film The Bitter Journey and the documentary
first feature-length motion Kingdom operates as a repressive and strictly, and Women Without Shadows) says. "My mother asked
picture filmed exclusively in often brutally, religious society. There is virtually me—and she's Saudi—'How did you film that?'
Saudi Arabia—it's the first one no Saudi film industry to speak of—no public My mother! And she's from a small town, and she
made by a Saudi woman. funds, no film festivals, barely any infrastructure— understands the culture."
"I wanted to make a film that is and movie theaters are almost entirely banned. (The Most movies are hard to make; this was a whole
transparent about the culture— different realm of tough. It took five years for
because I know a lot of people everything to fall into place, with investors skeptical
don't know what it is like in that she could pull it off. (The film was partially
Saudi Arabia, or what Saudi funded by Rotana, the production company of
Arabia looks like," says Haifaa Saudi prince and media mogul Al Waleed bin Talal.)
Al Mansour, writer/director of Al Mansour also had trouble landing producers. "I
the film. It tells the story of a sent emails out that I was working on this film to
precocious schoolgirl named hundreds of companies, and nobody answered,"
Wadjda (a character inspired by she says. She finally received a reply from Gerhard
Al Mansour's niece and played by first-time film Meixner and Roman Paul, a pair that had produced
actress Waad Mohammed), a Riyadh native who Waltz with Bashir and Paradise Now, both Oscar-
dreams of bucking social convention and buying nominated films. "I nearly had a heart attack when
a bicycle for herself. The movie has been making I opened my email that day! I could not believe it,"
international news lately not so much for its festival she says.
honors or its acclaim, but for how it was made, and Fortunately, the Saudi government approved the
the hurdles that had to be cleared. project, in part because a woman making a feature-
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is not going to length film in the country was so staggeringly
be mistaken for a hotbed of social liberalism or unprecedented that there simply wasn't a rule against
ﺧﺎﻧﻪ ﻓﺮﻫﻨﮓ ﻭ ﻫـﻨﺮ ﺍﯾـﺮﺍﻥ
ﻫﻨﺮی ﻭ ﺍﺩﺑﯽ،ﻣﺮﮐﺰ ﺑﺮﮔﺰﺍﺭی ﮐﻼﺱ ﻫﺎی ﺁﻣﻮﺯﺷﯽ ﻓﺮﻫﻨﮕﯽ
Lawyers ICBC ﻭﻛﻼ ﺳﻌ�ﺪ ﻓﺮج ﭘﻮری:ﮐﻤﺎﻧﭽﻪ ـ و�ﻠﻦ ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﻣﺤﻤﺪﻋﻠﯽ:ﮐﺎرﮔﺎه داﺳﺘﺎن ﻧﻮ�ﺴﯽ
Claims ٦٠٤- ٩٨٢- ٤٠٥١ ﻣﻬﺘﺎب ﻧﺼ�ﺮﭘﻮر:ﺑﺎز�ﮕﺮی ﻣﺤﻤﺪ رﺣﻤﺎﻧ�ﺎن:ﮐﺎرﮔﺎه ﺗﺌﺎﺗﺮ و ﮐﺎرﮔﺎه ﻧﻮﺷﱳ
604 - 982 - 4051 ٦٠٤- ٩٨٠ -٨٥٧١ دﻻرام ﺧ�ﺎم: ﻣﺤﻤﺪرﺿﺎ آﺗﺸﺰاد ﭘ�ﺎﻧﻮ: ﭘﺮو�ﺰ ﻧﺰاﮐﺘﯽ ﻧﻘﺎﺷﯽ آﺑﺮﻧﮓ:آواز
604 - 980 - 8571 ﻫﺎﻣ�ﻦ ﻫﻨﺮی:ﺗﻨﺒﮏ ـ دف ﺳﺎ�ﻨﺎ ﺧﺎﻟﺪی: ﺳﻨﺘﻮر ـ ﻣﻮﺳ�ﻘﯽ ﮐﻮدﮐﺎن ،
Vol. 20 / No. 1257 - Friday, Sept. 20, 2013 ﻋﻠﯽ ﺭﺯﻣﯽ: �ﺎﺳ�ﻦ اژدری ﺗﺎﺭ ـ ﺳﻪﺗﺎﺭ: ﻋﻠﯽ ﺳﺠﺎدی ﻧﯽ ـ ﻓﻠﻮت:ﺑﺮﺑﻂ
ﺣﻤﯿﺪﺭﺿﺎ ﺟﺪﯾﺪ: ﺳﻌ�ﺪ زرﮔﺮی ﻃﺮﺍﺣﯽ: ﻧﺎدر ﺧﺎﻟﺪی آﮐﺎردﺋﻮن:ﮔ�ﺘﺎر
آذر ﺗﻔﻀﻠﯽ:ﺳﻠﻔﮋ اﻓﺸ�ﻦ ﺳﺒﻮﮐﯽ:ﮐﺎر�ﮑﺎﺗﻮر ـ ﮐﺎرﺗﻮن ـ اﻧ�ﻤ�ﺸﻦ
ﺑﺮﺍی ﻣﺸﺎﻭﺭﻩ ﺣﻘﻮﻗﻰ ﻟﻄﻔﺎ ﺑﺎ ﻣﺴﻌﻮد ﮐﺮ�ﻤﺎ�ﯽ: ﻓﺮﻫﺎﺩ ﻻﻟﻪﺩﺷﺘﯽ ﺧﻮﺷﻨﻮ�ﺴﯽ:ﻣﯿﻨﯿﺎﺗﻮﺭ ـ ﺗﺬﻫﯿﺐ ـ ﻧﻘﺎﺷﯽ
ﺁﻗﺎی ﻛﺎﻣﻴﻞ ﻟﻄﻔﻌﻠﻰ ﮐﻼﺱﻫﺎیﺟﺪﯾﺪ
. ﺗﻤﺎﺱ ﺑﮕﻴﺮﻳﺪ،ﻭﻛﻴﻞ ﻓﺎﺭﺳﻰ ﺯﺑﺎﻥ ﻧ�ﻨﺎ ﺻﺎﻟﺢ ﭘﻮر:آﻣﻮرش ﺑﺮﻧﺎﻣﻪ ﻫﺎی ﮐﺎرﺑﺮدی ﮔﺮاﻓ�ﮏ
ﺷ�ﻤﺎ دﻫﻘﺎن: ﻧﻘﺎﺷﯽ ﺧﻼق ﺑﺮای ﮐﻮدﮐﺎن و ﻧﻮﺟﻮاﻧﺎن
Kamil Lotfali, lawyer
ﺳﻮران ﻣﺮدوﺧﯽ: ﮐﺎرﮔﺎه ﻓ�ﻠﻢ ﺳﺎزی
ﺳﺎﻝ ﺗﺠﺮﺑﻪ ﺣﻘﻮﻗﻰ٣٠ ﻣﺆﺳﺴﻪﺣﻘﻮﻗﻰ "ﻧﻮﺭﺕﺷﻮﺭﻻ " ﺑﺎﺑﻴﺶﺍﺯ-
ﺩﺳﺘﻤﺰﺩیﺩﺭﻳﺎﻓﺖﻧﺨﻮﺍﻫﻴﻢﻛﺮﺩ، ﺩﺭﻳﺎﻓﺖﻧﻨﻤﺎﺋﻴﻢICBC ﺗﺎﺧﺴﺎﺭﺕﺷﻤﺎﺭﺍ ﺍﺯ- ﮐﻼﺱ ﻫﺎی ﮔﺮﻭﻫﯽ ﻭ ﺍﻧﻔﺮﺍﺩی
ﺑﺎ ﺍﻋﻄﺎﺀ ﮔﻮﺍﻫﯿﻨﺎﻣﻪ ﺭﺳﻤﯽ ﺧﺎﻧﻪ ﻓﺮﻫﻨﮓ
ICBC ﺩﺭﻳﺎﻓﺖ ﻫﺮﮔﻮﻧﻪ ﺧﺴﺎﺭﺕ ﺟﺎﻧﻰ ﻭ ﻣﺎﻟﻰ ﺍﺯ-
1183 West 16th Street (@ Pemberton Ave) NorthVancouver
43 NORTH SHORE LAW LLP www.percai.com info@percai.com
6th Floor, 171 West Esplanade, North Vancouver, B.C. facebook.com/PERCAI
klotfali@northshorelaw.com
778 . 889 . 4820
43 Saudi Arabia's First Feature-Length Film
Was Directed by a Woman. Here's Her Story
"Wadjda" director Haifaa Al Mansour talks about her groundbreaking film and watching the Coen Brothers as a kid in Saudi Arabia.
1392 رویرهش29 جمعه- 1257 شماره/ سال متسیب —By Asawin Suebsaeng Arab nation does pour a lot of money into television
and soap operas, however.)
In touch with Iranian diversity -- Mother Jones political reform any time soon. Conditions and "People want to know how you make films in
rights for women in the country have long been a a conservative culture like [Saudi Arabia]," Al
The critically acclaimed new disaster and moral outrage, although there are signs Mansour (whose previous work includes the short
movie Wadjda is not just the of some possible liberalization down the road. The film The Bitter Journey and the documentary
first feature-length motion Kingdom operates as a repressive and strictly, and Women Without Shadows) says. "My mother asked
picture filmed exclusively in often brutally, religious society. There is virtually me—and she's Saudi—'How did you film that?'
Saudi Arabia—it's the first one no Saudi film industry to speak of—no public My mother! And she's from a small town, and she
made by a Saudi woman. funds, no film festivals, barely any infrastructure— understands the culture."
"I wanted to make a film that is and movie theaters are almost entirely banned. (The Most movies are hard to make; this was a whole
transparent about the culture— different realm of tough. It took five years for
because I know a lot of people everything to fall into place, with investors skeptical
don't know what it is like in that she could pull it off. (The film was partially
Saudi Arabia, or what Saudi funded by Rotana, the production company of
Arabia looks like," says Haifaa Saudi prince and media mogul Al Waleed bin Talal.)
Al Mansour, writer/director of Al Mansour also had trouble landing producers. "I
the film. It tells the story of a sent emails out that I was working on this film to
precocious schoolgirl named hundreds of companies, and nobody answered,"
Wadjda (a character inspired by she says. She finally received a reply from Gerhard
Al Mansour's niece and played by first-time film Meixner and Roman Paul, a pair that had produced
actress Waad Mohammed), a Riyadh native who Waltz with Bashir and Paradise Now, both Oscar-
dreams of bucking social convention and buying nominated films. "I nearly had a heart attack when
a bicycle for herself. The movie has been making I opened my email that day! I could not believe it,"
international news lately not so much for its festival she says.
honors or its acclaim, but for how it was made, and Fortunately, the Saudi government approved the
the hurdles that had to be cleared. project, in part because a woman making a feature-
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is not going to length film in the country was so staggeringly
be mistaken for a hotbed of social liberalism or unprecedented that there simply wasn't a rule against
ﺧﺎﻧﻪ ﻓﺮﻫﻨﮓ ﻭ ﻫـﻨﺮ ﺍﯾـﺮﺍﻥ
ﻫﻨﺮی ﻭ ﺍﺩﺑﯽ،ﻣﺮﮐﺰ ﺑﺮﮔﺰﺍﺭی ﮐﻼﺱ ﻫﺎی ﺁﻣﻮﺯﺷﯽ ﻓﺮﻫﻨﮕﯽ
Lawyers ICBC ﻭﻛﻼ ﺳﻌ�ﺪ ﻓﺮج ﭘﻮری:ﮐﻤﺎﻧﭽﻪ ـ و�ﻠﻦ ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﻣﺤﻤﺪﻋﻠﯽ:ﮐﺎرﮔﺎه داﺳﺘﺎن ﻧﻮ�ﺴﯽ
Claims ٦٠٤- ٩٨٢- ٤٠٥١ ﻣﻬﺘﺎب ﻧﺼ�ﺮﭘﻮر:ﺑﺎز�ﮕﺮی ﻣﺤﻤﺪ رﺣﻤﺎﻧ�ﺎن:ﮐﺎرﮔﺎه ﺗﺌﺎﺗﺮ و ﮐﺎرﮔﺎه ﻧﻮﺷﱳ
604 - 982 - 4051 ٦٠٤- ٩٨٠ -٨٥٧١ دﻻرام ﺧ�ﺎم: ﻣﺤﻤﺪرﺿﺎ آﺗﺸﺰاد ﭘ�ﺎﻧﻮ: ﭘﺮو�ﺰ ﻧﺰاﮐﺘﯽ ﻧﻘﺎﺷﯽ آﺑﺮﻧﮓ:آواز
604 - 980 - 8571 ﻫﺎﻣ�ﻦ ﻫﻨﺮی:ﺗﻨﺒﮏ ـ دف ﺳﺎ�ﻨﺎ ﺧﺎﻟﺪی: ﺳﻨﺘﻮر ـ ﻣﻮﺳ�ﻘﯽ ﮐﻮدﮐﺎن ،
Vol. 20 / No. 1257 - Friday, Sept. 20, 2013 ﻋﻠﯽ ﺭﺯﻣﯽ: �ﺎﺳ�ﻦ اژدری ﺗﺎﺭ ـ ﺳﻪﺗﺎﺭ: ﻋﻠﯽ ﺳﺠﺎدی ﻧﯽ ـ ﻓﻠﻮت:ﺑﺮﺑﻂ
ﺣﻤﯿﺪﺭﺿﺎ ﺟﺪﯾﺪ: ﺳﻌ�ﺪ زرﮔﺮی ﻃﺮﺍﺣﯽ: ﻧﺎدر ﺧﺎﻟﺪی آﮐﺎردﺋﻮن:ﮔ�ﺘﺎر
آذر ﺗﻔﻀﻠﯽ:ﺳﻠﻔﮋ اﻓﺸ�ﻦ ﺳﺒﻮﮐﯽ:ﮐﺎر�ﮑﺎﺗﻮر ـ ﮐﺎرﺗﻮن ـ اﻧ�ﻤ�ﺸﻦ
ﺑﺮﺍی ﻣﺸﺎﻭﺭﻩ ﺣﻘﻮﻗﻰ ﻟﻄﻔﺎ ﺑﺎ ﻣﺴﻌﻮد ﮐﺮ�ﻤﺎ�ﯽ: ﻓﺮﻫﺎﺩ ﻻﻟﻪﺩﺷﺘﯽ ﺧﻮﺷﻨﻮ�ﺴﯽ:ﻣﯿﻨﯿﺎﺗﻮﺭ ـ ﺗﺬﻫﯿﺐ ـ ﻧﻘﺎﺷﯽ
ﺁﻗﺎی ﻛﺎﻣﻴﻞ ﻟﻄﻔﻌﻠﻰ ﮐﻼﺱﻫﺎیﺟﺪﯾﺪ
. ﺗﻤﺎﺱ ﺑﮕﻴﺮﻳﺪ،ﻭﻛﻴﻞ ﻓﺎﺭﺳﻰ ﺯﺑﺎﻥ ﻧ�ﻨﺎ ﺻﺎﻟﺢ ﭘﻮر:آﻣﻮرش ﺑﺮﻧﺎﻣﻪ ﻫﺎی ﮐﺎرﺑﺮدی ﮔﺮاﻓ�ﮏ
ﺷ�ﻤﺎ دﻫﻘﺎن: ﻧﻘﺎﺷﯽ ﺧﻼق ﺑﺮای ﮐﻮدﮐﺎن و ﻧﻮﺟﻮاﻧﺎن
Kamil Lotfali, lawyer
ﺳﻮران ﻣﺮدوﺧﯽ: ﮐﺎرﮔﺎه ﻓ�ﻠﻢ ﺳﺎزی
ﺳﺎﻝ ﺗﺠﺮﺑﻪ ﺣﻘﻮﻗﻰ٣٠ ﻣﺆﺳﺴﻪﺣﻘﻮﻗﻰ "ﻧﻮﺭﺕﺷﻮﺭﻻ " ﺑﺎﺑﻴﺶﺍﺯ-
ﺩﺳﺘﻤﺰﺩیﺩﺭﻳﺎﻓﺖﻧﺨﻮﺍﻫﻴﻢﻛﺮﺩ، ﺩﺭﻳﺎﻓﺖﻧﻨﻤﺎﺋﻴﻢICBC ﺗﺎﺧﺴﺎﺭﺕﺷﻤﺎﺭﺍ ﺍﺯ- ﮐﻼﺱ ﻫﺎی ﮔﺮﻭﻫﯽ ﻭ ﺍﻧﻔﺮﺍﺩی
ﺑﺎ ﺍﻋﻄﺎﺀ ﮔﻮﺍﻫﯿﻨﺎﻣﻪ ﺭﺳﻤﯽ ﺧﺎﻧﻪ ﻓﺮﻫﻨﮓ
ICBC ﺩﺭﻳﺎﻓﺖ ﻫﺮﮔﻮﻧﻪ ﺧﺴﺎﺭﺕ ﺟﺎﻧﻰ ﻭ ﻣﺎﻟﻰ ﺍﺯ-
1183 West 16th Street (@ Pemberton Ave) NorthVancouver
43 NORTH SHORE LAW LLP www.percai.com info@percai.com
6th Floor, 171 West Esplanade, North Vancouver, B.C. facebook.com/PERCAI
klotfali@northshorelaw.com
778 . 889 . 4820
