Did you know?: Saudi Arabia’s first female film-maker gets Oscar entry

Saudi Arabia’s first female film-maker Haifaa Al-Mansour has achieved what no other woman from the country has. Not only did the director shoot an entire movie in the confines of her country, at times being forced to shoot while hiding behind a van, her movie is now in the running for an Oscar, according to the Hindustan Times.

The movie, titled Wadjda, stars Waad Mohammad as a little girl who is determined to buy a bicycle, despite the fact that the law forbids girls from riding them. However, the law has become more relaxed since the movie was made, allowing females to ride bikes. There are, as always, certain conditions, such as the need to wear a full-length abaya, and have a male relative present.

Al-Mansour began making low-budget films in her late 20s, and is not surprised that conservatives within Saudia Arabia have criticised her movie.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th, 2013.

Like Life & Style on Facebook, follow @ETLifeandStyle on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.