THE PERFECT CANDIDATE

Maryam is a devoted doctor working in a small-town clinic - though some men refuse her care because of her gender. Her father is a musician who, after the passing of her mother, kept the matriarch's spirit alive in his support of his three girls. But when he goes off on tour, Maryam is unable to renew her travel permit and misses a medical conference. Frustrated by this as well as the attitudes she comes up against at the clinic, Maryam is convinced it's time to take matters into her own hands: she is going to run for local council.

HAIFA AL-MANSUR / HAIFAA AL-MANSOUR

Haifaa Al-Mansour (1974) is the first female filmmaker in Saudi Arabia. She studied comparative literature at the American University in Cairo. She completed a Master’s degree in Film Studies from the University of Sydney under the prestigious Endeavour Scholarship Award. Her work is dedicated to fostering change for Saudi women. Penetrating the wall of silence surrounding them, she provided a platform for their unheard voices. The success of her films around the world inspired a new movement of independent filmmaking in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. She began her film directing career with three shorts, Who?, Bereavement of the Fledgling, and The Only Way Out, followed by her award-winning documentary Women Without Shadows. Her first feature film, Wadjda (2012), was the first international film ever to be shot inside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Invited to over 40 festivals worldwide, the film garnered numerous awards - among others in Venice, Rotterdam and Dubai.