Written by on Jul 8, 2013. Posted in On Location

Saudi Arabian director makes history filming on location in Riyadh

A Saudi Arabian filmmaker has made history as the first woman to direct a film on location in the country. Haifaa Al Mansour also wrote Wadjda, which tells the story of a Saudi girl who makes a plan to buy a bicycle she sees in a Riyadh shop window.

Al Mansour faced tough challenges filming on location in Saudi Arabia, which places severe and legally-enforced restrictions on women’s rights.

“When we shot in Riyadh, I could not publicly mix with my crew, who were men, so I often had to work from the back of a van and talk to the actors on a walkie talkie, while I watched the scene on a monitor,” Al Mansour told the BBC.

Saudi Arabia has no cinemas but Wadjda will be made available on DVD and will be screened regionally on TV, in addition to its international release.