Saudi female director grabs spotlight in France

France 24

France 24 photo

French cinemas are preparing to welcome the first ever Saudi feature film, "Wadjda,"  on Feb. 6, remarkable for its female director, Haifaa al-Mansour.

The story of a schoolgirl in Riyadh who enters a Koranic singing competition in the hope of winning money to buy a bicycle, the film is billed as the first-ever Saudi big-screen feature; it was shot entirely in Saudi Arabia with a Saudi cast and crew, and – most notably, given that women’s rights in the Middle Eastern nation are severely restricted – was written and directed by a Saudi woman.

France 24 interviewed al-Mansour about being a female filmmaker Saudi Arabia, known to be a deeply conservative society.

Click here to read the full interview on France 24.