The Saudi Filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour

Haifaa Al-Mansour is the first Saudi filmmaker. She produced several films that aided in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s intellectual openness.

Her Education and Upbringing

Haifaa Al-Mansour was born in August 1973 in Al-Ahsa. Her origins go back to the Zulfi region in Najd. Her father is the Saudi poet and thinker Abdul Rahman Al-Mansour.

She studied English Literature at the American University in Cairo, the capital of Egypt.

Haifaa earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature in 1997. She was able to find employment that fit her needs. Nevertheless, her true love was films, and she aspired to work in the industry continuously. Her family supported her in following her ambition.

Haifaa Al-Mansour Most Prominent Films

• Who?
• The Bitter Departure
• Me and the Other.
• Women without Shadows
• Wadjda.

Awards and Prizes

The Golden Dagger for Best Documentary Film at the Muscat Film Festival was one of the many accolades that Saudi filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour was able to receive. Interestingly, this is the first Golden Medal given to a Saudi film.

Haifaa also received the Crystal Award at the 2019 World Economic Forum conference in Davos for her leadership in the Arab world’s Cultural Revolution.

Al-Mansour also attended several film-related festivals and conferences, both locally and internationally.

In 2018, Haifaa Al-Mansour presented the film “Nappily Ever After,” which was based on Trisha Thomas’s novel of the same name.