Saudi Filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour Hopes To Show ‘Fire And Bravery’ Of Saudi Women In Nike Campaign Film
New Age Islam News Bureau
16 May 2024
·
Saudi
Filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour Hopes To Show ‘Fire And Bravery’ Of Saudi Women In
Nike Campaign Film
·
Iranian
Authorities Assault Female Students Over Hijab Defiance At Al-Zahra University
·
Cleric
Urges Iranian Women to Question ‘Flaws’ in Western Women's Rights
·
Sudanese Women’s
Groups Urge Arab League To Pressure External Actors Fuelling War
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/saudi-filmmaker-haifaa-mansour/d/132330
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Saudi Filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour Hopes
To Show ‘Fire And Bravery’ Of Saudi Women In Nike Campaign Film
For Haifaa
Al-Mansour, the Nike ad campaign is a natural extension of her work as a
filmmaker. (Supplied)
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May 16, 2024
DUBAI: For Nike’s first Saudi campaign
“What If You Can?” the US athletic brand collaborated with acclaimed Saudi
filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour.
Shot in Riyadh, the film aims to inspire
young girls in the Kingdom to try sporting activities, and Al-Mansour brought a
level of craft and authenticity deeply rooted in Saudi culture to the project,
as she has done throughout her career. Her groundbreaking debut feature, 2012’s
“Wadjda,” which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, was a love letter to the
young girls of Saudi Arabia.
“I really feel a responsibility to try
and represent the world I grew up in as authentically as possible to audiences
at home and abroad. I want to start conversations at home about issues that are
important to us, while at the same time providing a window to our world to
people who have never had access to it before,” Al-Mansour tells Arab News.
“I think it is very important to make a
film that shows international audiences what life is really like in Saudi
Arabia, as there are very few opportunities for them to see it otherwise. Even
with ‘Wadjda,’ I heard from a lot of foreign audiences that were surprised by
how strong and sassy Saudi women actually are. There is this perception that we
are weak and shy and afraid of the world, and that we are just victims,
resigned to the limited, restrictive circumstances of our culture. It is so not
true. Saudi women are so tough, feisty, funny, and way more savvy than most
people realize. I hope this (Nike campaign) further captures the fire and
bravery of women from my country. Telling their stories is the honor and
privilege of my life.”
Her work on the new campaign reminded
Al-Mansour just how dramatic the changes in the Kingdom have been over the past
decade.
“It was incredibly difficult to make a
film in 2011. People were still very hesitant to embrace any public form of
artistic expression,” she says. “Film, especially, was seen as taboo, and the
idea of opening theaters had become a red line that most of us thought would
never be crossed. Of course, now everything is different.
“For my first film I couldn’t work with
the men in public, so I had to direct from a van,” she continues. “Being
allowed to mix with my crew and be fully immersed in this production was
amazing. It was also very exciting to have so many enthusiastic young Saudis
working on the set. They are the future of the industry, and to see them giving
their all was very special for me. We have a long way to go in building local
expertise, but the enthusiasm is there. It’s an exciting time to be a Saudi
filmmaker.”
For Al-Mansour, the Nike ad campaign is
a natural extension of her work as a filmmaker.
“It feels like a dream to shoot a commercial encouraging Saudi women
to participate in sport, with an all-female cast, in Saudi Arabia. While I love
working in the West, there is a much deeper sense of pride and emotion for me
when taking on projects shot in KSA. I feel such a strong connection to this
story and these issues, it is very emotional for me,” she says.
Al-Mansour credits her parents for her
creative spirit. “My father was a poet and philosopher who thought far beyond
the borders of the tiny town he was from. And my mother is a free spirit. They
never listened to people who criticized their way of life, and never limited
opportunities for their children. It is incredibly brave to stand up for what
you believe in, and neither of them ever backed down,” she says.
As for her legacy, Al-Mansour hopes to
“encourage women to always push boundaries and look for new opportunities. I
want to make films that show people adjusting to change and struggling through
it the way we all have to. It isn’t easy for anyone. If I hear that this
project encouraged someone to go out and try a sport for the first time, not
knowing if they would even be able to do it, that would be the most rewarding
thing I can imagine.”
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2511186/lifestyle
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Iranian Authorities Assault Female
Students Over Hijab Defiance At Al-Zahra University
Iranian
authorities have assaulted female students who defied the mandatory headscarf
rules amid an intensified crackdown on women.
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MAY 15, 2024
Iranian authorities have assaulted
female students who defied the mandatory headscarf rules amid an intensified
crackdown on women.
According to reports published by
independent student sources, women students were assaulted and threatened for
not complying with compulsory hijab at the Tehran Al-Zahra University.
The Amir Kabir newsletter telegram
channel reported that, on Tuesday, security officers at one of the faculties of
Al-Zahra University aggressively grabbed the wrist of a female student during
her entrance to the faculty.
In this report, some students of
Al-Zahra University also stated that law enforcement officers forced female
students to wear a headscarf and took pictures of their student cards by
illegally entering the classroom.
Before this incident, reports circulated
on social media that a man who entered the girls' dormitory of Noshirvani
University of Babol to repair toilets secretly watched and filmed a female
student bathing.
By publishing this report, the Telegram
channel of the United Students confirmed that students of Noshirvani University
of Babol have protested multiple times regarding the lack of supervision by
authorities and facility personnel, as well as the dormitory supervisor's
refusal to take responsibility.
One student of the Noshirvani University
wrote on their X account: "This morning, in the Reyhaneh dormitory of
Noshirvani University of Babol, one of the university facility's personnel was
observed watching a female student from under the bathroom door, and it appears
he was filming. When his phone rang, the student noticed and asked for
help."
The students contacted the police, who
then came to the dormitory and filed a complaint.
The university informed the students
that it was no longer responsible for the assaulted individual and advised them
to pursue the complaint through the police rather than contacting university
authorities.
The United Students Telegram channel
also reported another aspect of the story: "One girl was in the bathroom
when two men arrived from the facility with a supervisor's assistant to repair
the bathroom door.
"One of the men stayed, claiming to
need to use the bathroom, while the others left. A few minutes later, a girl
who was bathing screamed upon noticing him peeping at her.
"When reporting to the supervisors,
they dismissed the girl's claims, stating she was hallucinating."
The official statement of the Noshirvani
University in response to the incident was published in the same independent
student source.
It stated, "After holding a
meeting, the university decided to expel the guilty individual from the
facilities department until the final issuance of a court order.
"Additionally, the supervisor of
Reyhaneh dormitory was suspended until further notice and referred to the
employees' violations committee."
The university's legal department was
also instructed to follow up "and defend the rights" of the
complaining student before judicial authorities.
Source: iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/women/129225-iranian-authorities-assault-female-students-over-hijab-defiance/
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Cleric Urges Iranian Women to Question
‘Flaws’ in Western Women's Rights
05/15/2024
A high-ranking Iranian cleric has
claimed Western views of women’s rights are “flawed” urging Iranian women to
question the very rights they are fighting for amid an ongoing uprising.
Hashem Hosseini Bushehri, Secretary of
the Supreme Council of Seminaries said on Tuesday, “If educated and thoughtful
women address issues such as the status of women's rights in Western societies
and the flaws that exist in this area in the West, the enemy will not even have
a chance to challenge us,” said Bushehri.
His statement comes at a time when Iran
faces international scrutiny over its treatment of women, following the
widespread protests ignited by the Women, Life, Freedom movement since 2022.
The movement began after powerful images
of Iranian women rejecting the mandatory hijab went viral, symbolizing broader
opposition against Iran’s authoritarian regime, which imposes strict religious
codes affecting both the social and private lives of its citizens, especially
women, who remain excluded from various facets of society such as football
stadiums and are subject to strict Islamic dress codes from childhood.
Despite the regime’s harsh crackdown,
which includes public beatings, rapes, and executions of protesters, defiance
remains strong.
In response, Iranian authorities have
escalated their enforcement of the mandatory hijab, instituting the Noor plan
last month, which has seen an increased presence of hijab police, especially in
central Tehran, violently cracking down on hijab defiance.
The United Nations has labeled Iran's
actions as "gender apartheid," and international rights groups
continue to advocate for the oppressed women in Iran, who are battling against
the stringent laws.
Iran’s Me Too movement has documented
systematic state-sanctioned sexual violence against women and girls.
Source: iranintl.com
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202405155945
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Sudanese women’s groups urge Arab League
to pressure external actors fuelling war
May 15, 2024 (NAIROBI) – Ahead of the
Arab League summit in Manama, Bahrain, Sudanese women’s groups are urging the
organization to pressure external parties fuelling the conflict in Sudan.
Starting May 16th, the summit will
address regional crises, including those in Palestine, Libya, Yemen, and Syria.
Sudan’s year-long conflict is also on the agenda, marking the first time Arab
leaders will discuss the issue.
In a five-page letter, the women’s
groups call on the Arab League and its member states to “exert pressure on all
external actors, regional and international, who are supporting combatants and
fuelling Sudan’s war.” They urge these parties to cease their involvement and
end the suffering of the Sudanese people.
The letter emphasizes the need for the
Arab League to play “a stronger, more proactive role” in achieving peace in
Sudan. The groups advocate for the League’s active participation in ending the
war and supporting reconstruction efforts.
This is the first time Arab leaders will
discuss the Sudan crisis at the League summit. Notably, the League has remained
silent on the issue so far, and the Sudanese government hasn’t lodged a formal
complaint against the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The UAE has been accused of backing the
Rapid Support Forces (RSF) with military supplies, a claim they deny.
The women’s groups specifically
highlight the war’s impact on women and children. Their letter details the dire
situation faced by Sudanese women and girls, including systematic violence,
sexual crimes, and disruptions to essential services like education and
healthcare.
They emphasize the disproportionate
burden on women, stating that they represent 69% of Sudan’s displaced and
refugee population.
Source: sudantribune.com
https://sudantribune.com/article285616/
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/saudi-filmmaker-haifaa-mansour/d/132330