When Haifaa Al-Mansour made her first feature film “Wadjda” in 2012, Saudi Arabia’s first-ever Oscar submission, she famously had to direct the film from the back of a van while segregated from her male cast and crew as she worked. For her latest film “The Perfect Candidate,” she wanted to see just how much times have changed in her country since then.
While many people filmed TV, the public exhibition of movies early in the decade was still forbidden, and many locals would be apprehensive to allow filmmakers to use actors or use locations for a film for fear of reprisal from radicals or the government. Since “Wadjda,” Al-Mansour has made a handful of English-language films and shows, and she’s observed how the fear toward cinema in her country has lessened.
“Cinema was legal, and I wanted to know what had changed,” Al-Mansour told TheWrap’s Steve Pond following a screening of the film Wednesday at the Landmark Theatres in Los Angeles. “To me, I felt empowered to go back and make a film that is legal. But it was still really tough.”
“The Perfect Candidate” is a light-hearted comedy about a young doctor named Maryam who inadvertently runs for her local municipal council in an attempt to get a road paved to her clinic. She doesn’t have much of a chance in the election, but her determination comes from demanding respect as a candidate, even though she’s a woman.
Al-Mansour explains that though some of the laws have changed and women are slowly seeing more opportunities, there’s still a lot of social pressure in Saudi Arabia for women to remain at home and remain hidden. What’s more, art itself is often suppressed, with some musicians and artists at risk just for performing. Dr. Maryam’s story is one more positive representation designed to change that stigma.
“It’s very important to encourage progressive ideas, whether they come from Saudi Arabia or the Middle East where it is very conservative and people don’t appreciate arts or women’s rights, or other things like that,” Al-Mansour said. “So to me it’s very important to seize a moment like this and hope that art will find its at the root to society. Because it is what makes civilization. Really if we want democracy in that part of the region, we can’t do it without art. It is the basis for everything.”
However, Al-Mansour’s eyes aren’t set just squarely on changing the minds of Saudi Arabian audiences. “The Perfect Candidate” is Saudi Arabia’s official Oscar submission to the international feature race in 2020, but the film is still seeking distribution abroad and here in America. Al-Mansour recruited a cast of primarily non-professional actors in a relatable setting, and “The Perfect Candidate” is a way to share her culture with the rest of the world.
“It’s to open a place where I come from that has a lot of tradition, has a lot of practices that people, it’s almost like documentary making a film like that,” she said. “It’s for people to know who we are as people, not like just the news or everything. It’s for people you don’t get to see because they’re not very important. They’re not the prime minister, they’re not rich, they’re just people.”
“The Perfect Candidate” opens with a scene in which a patient says to Dr. Maryam, “You’ll never succeed with a woman in charge.” Al-Mansour says this is actually a popular saying among certain men in Saudi Arabia. But slowly and with the help of art like hers, things are changing for the better.
“I give a lot of praise to Saudi women for proving themselves through hard work and dedication and trying to prove themselves even quietly. I admire that,” Al-Mansour said. “We have to prove we can be in charge and we can take that responsibility. But I hope that things are changing. There are progressive ideologies that are in the Middle East, and we hope those progressive ideologies will make something real and take the new step for the new generation that they don’t have to suffer through this and don’t have to go through the same thing we went through.”
16 Hollywood and Media Deals With Saudi Arabia - and Where They Now Stand (Gallery)
A growing number of Hollywood and U.S. media companies have backed out of business deals with Saudi Arabia and the crown prince, known by his initials MBS, after Turkish officials concluded that journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by Saudi operatives inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.
Here is a list of Hollywood and media deals with Saudi Arabia -- and where they stand now.
Richard Branson
British entrepreneur Richard Branson announced he would step down as chairman of Virgin Hyperloop, a planned supersonic transport system in the United Arab Emirates and other countries, CNBC reported.
The Harbour Group
Leading D.C. lobbying firm representing the Saudi government’s interests, the Harbour Group, announced on Oct. 11 it was terminating its $80,000-a-month contract with the kingdom.
Endeavor
WME parent company Endeavor, one of Hollywood's top talent agencies, said on Oct. 15 it was preparing to withdraw from its $400 million financing deal with the Saudi Arabian government.
Gerard Butler
Actor Gerard Butler pulled out of a trip to Saudi Arabia to promote his new movie "Hunter Killer" following Khashoggi's disappearance.
‘Davos in the Desert’
The New York Times, Bloomberg, CNN, CNBC, The Financial Times, Nikkei, The Los Angeles Times, Fox Business Channel, Viacom and The Economist are among the names that have withdrawn their sponsorship or canceled their appearances from the high-powered Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, dubbed “Davos in the Desert,” to be hosted by the Crown Prince and the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund in late October.
Uber
CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said he was "troubled by the reports" and would not attend the conference "unless a substantially different set of facts emerges."
AMC
The movie theater chain has plans to open 40 theaters in the kingdom within the next five years, with the aim to reach 100 locations by 2030.
AMC declined to comment when reached by TheWrap.
Penske Media Corp.
In February, Penske, which owns Hollywood trades Variety and Deadline, among other publications, received a $200 million investment from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The company declined to comment about whether it will reassess the investment.
World Wrestling Entertainment
WWE, which is due to return to Saudi Arabia on Nov. 2 for its "Crown Jewel" wrestling event, told TheWrap in statement that it’s "currently monitoring the situation." An insider also told TheWrap WWE talent have been instructed to promote the event -- but not its location -- for two weeks now.
IMAX
Plans for IMAX to build more movie theaters in the kingdom, which have been mired in red tape, will likely be put on “pause” following Khashoggi’s disappearance, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke with TheWrap.
Vox Cinemas
This Dubai-based movie theater chain -- not to be confused with media outlet Vox -- often received revenue from rich Saudis who traveled to Dubai on weekends while KSA’s cinema ban was in effect. They, along with AMC, got the inside track on negotiations to build cineplexes in the country and are currently the only two chains with the license from the government to do so. Vox declined to comment.
Feld Entertainment
The company told TheWrap it had not signed any deals with the Saudis to bring international events, including “Disney on Ice,” “Disney Live,” “Marvel Experience” and “Monster Jam” to the kingdom, but that it was “still in conversation” with the kingdom. The company did not wish to comment further.
iPic
In March, the Florida-based luxury movie theater chain had announced it had partnered with Saudi firm BAS Global Investments Co. to develop cinemas and restaurants throughout the kingdom. An iPic rep told TheWrap Wednesday that it had “no further updates” on the deal.
Nat Geo
In April, National Geographic announced it was partnering with the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia to develop and launch several locations for its walk-through virtual-reality zoo.
Reps for Nat Geo told TheWrap they “don’t have an answer yet” on whether the partnership will continue.
Cirque du Soleil
The iconic live entertainment brand had its first performance in Saudi Arabia on Sept. 23, just before Khashoggi went missing. It is unclear whether the company has any more performances planned in Saudi Arabia. Reps for the company did not respond to a request for comment from TheWrap.
IMG Artists
The performing arts, social media, and festival and events management company signed a letter of intent to bring large-scale festivals to the kingdom.
A rep for IMG told TheWrap that the deal went “stale” shortly after it was signed, following “changes” in the monarchy’s 2030 Vision campaign.
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Death of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi threatens kingdom’s modernization plans
A growing number of Hollywood and U.S. media companies have backed out of business deals with Saudi Arabia and the crown prince, known by his initials MBS, after Turkish officials concluded that journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by Saudi operatives inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.
Here is a list of Hollywood and media deals with Saudi Arabia -- and where they stand now.
