- Born
- Haifaa Al Mansour is the first female filmmaker in Saudi Arabia and is regarded as one of the most significant cinematic figures in the Kingdom. She finished her bachelor's degree in Literature at the American University in Cairo and completed a Master's degree in Directing and Film Studies from the University of Sydney. The success of her three short films, as well as the international acclaim of her award-winning 2005 documentary Women Without Shadows, influenced a whole new wave of Saudi filmmakers and made the issue of opening cinemas in the Kingdom a front-page discussion. Within the Kingdom her work is both praised and vilified for encouraging discussion on topics generally considered too taboo, like tolerance, the dangers of orthodoxy, and the need for Saudis to take a critical look at their traditional and restrictive culture.
- IMDb mini biography by: HAM
- SpouseBrad Niemann(May 24, 2007 - present) (2 children)
- Is the first female Saudi filmmaker.
- She's the first woman from Saudi Arabia to direct a feature film. For Haifaa Al Mansour, it wasn't easy being a pioneer. She had to direct the exterior scenes in Riyadh from inside a van, watching the actors on monitors and communicating via walkie-talkie because the country is segregated and women are not supposed to work in public with men.
- She grew up in a small town in Saudi Arabia, the eighth of 12 children.
- Had to e-mail her first short film "Who...?" to her friends and relatives.
- She is from Al Zulfi, Saudi Arabia.
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