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Haifaa Al-Mansour
Saudi Arabian Film Director
In 2012, Haifaa Al-Mansour filmed Wadjda, the first ever feature
to be made entirely in Saudi Arabia. Due to the public segregation
of men and women, Al-Mansour was required to direct the movie’s
outdoor scenes from inside a van, giving instructions to her cast
and crew via walkie-talkie. In doing so she became Saudi Arabia’s
first female filmmaker. As Saudi Arabia lifts its 35-year-long ban
on cinemas – at the request of its 32-year-old crown prince,
Mohammed bin Salman – Al-Mansour seems the most likely candidate to
become an ambassador between Hollywood and Riyadh. Her latest film, Mary
Shelley, based on the life of the Frankenstein author, was released
in 2017 and starred Dakota Fanning; more Al-Mansour US-based
projects are likely to be given the green light in the near
future.