Director
Haifaa al-Mansour
52 years · Al Zulfi, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia · 8 films
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.
Best known for
Filmography 8
Unidentified
2026 · Director, Writer
The Perfect Candidate
2020 · Director, Writer
On Plex
Nappily Ever After
2018 · Director
On Netflix
The Wedding Singer's Daughter
2018 · Director, Writer
Mary Shelley
2017 · Director, Writer
On AMC+
Reel Herstory: The Real Story of Reel Women
2014 · Self
On Kanopy
Wadjda
2012 · Screenplay, Director
On YouTube Free
Women Without Shadows
2005 · Director