Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Haifaa Al-Mansour: 'When I started making films in Saudi Arabia, people were laughing at me'
Haifaa Al-Mansour is the first Saudi woman to direct a film. Her movie "Wadjda” was Saudi Arabia’s first submission for an Oscar. Her latest work is "Mary Shelley," a biopic of the “Frankenstein” author.
By Madeleine Brand • • 1 min readHaifaa Al-Mansour is the first Saudi woman to direct a film. Her movie "Wadjda” was Saudi Arabia’s first submission for an Oscar. Her latest work is "Mary Shelley," a biopic of the “Frankenstein” author. In Saudi Arabia, women aren’t allowed to make major decisions alone. They can't sign a contract or make travel plans. And they must be covered in public.
Filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour at KCRW. Photo by Amy Ta.
Elle Fanning as the lead in "Mary Shelley." Photo courtesy of IFC Films.
