Arab female film directors have helped change the landscape of Arab cinema in recent years, presenting stories that haven't been told before and claiming space in an industry in a region that rarely makes room for women to grow.

Four female directors have played a significant role in transforming Arab cinema by presenting previously untold stories and claiming space in an industry where women have traditionally had limited opportunities. Their participation in the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah highlights a growing movement toward more diverse and authentic narratives in the region.

The festival also showcased Saudi Arabia's investment in the film industry as part of broader cultural changes. Despite progress, some rights groups have criticized such events, arguing they may distract from ongoing concerns about human rights in the kingdom.

Four female directors making waves in Arab cinema

Arab female film directors have helped shine the landscape of Arab cinema in recent years, presenting stories that haven't been told before and claiming space in an industry in a region that rarely makes room for women to grow. Four influential female directors took part in this year's Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah, paving the way for more diverse narratives in Arab cinema. The only portrayals that I saw of us were these horrific stereotypes that maligned us. And my family suffered a great deal of racism because of these stereotypes. And so with that experience, I chose to become a filmmaker in order to really change the narrative, to be part of that change. The festival, bringing together 38 directors to showcase Saudi Arabia's heavy investment in film, gaming and sports as part of its broader transformation efforts. There are many stories to be told, and it's a very important means to create a beautiful image of the Arab world, which the West has tried to distort. After 9-11, they portrayed us as terrorists and in an ugly light, an Orientalist image. And I always say that I love to tell our history, Arab and Islamic stories, to show the world who we truly are. And filmmaking is a wonderful way to spread who we really are. Palestinian-American filmmaker Sherian Devis premiered her new film, All That's Left of You, a multi-generational story tracing one family's experience from the 1948 Nakba, which means Arabic for catastrophe, the mass expulsion of Palestinians before and during the Arab-Israeli war that followed Israeli establishment to 2022. There is this kind of image of women filmmakers as overly emotional and unable to make decisions or command a set. And I felt I had to overcome some of those wrong images of us as women, you know? Some rice groups have criticized these actions, saying they sought to draw away attention from the kingdom's human rights records, including its high rate of executions and restrictions on free expression.

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