The session titled “Women in Drama and Cinema” at the Arab Media Summit’s Forum on Film and Digital Games served not only as a dialogue about women’s representation in artistic works but as a genuine platform for realizing a new reality fostered by women’s cinema in the Arab world. This initiative, titled “Short Film Lab for Emerging Female Filmmakers,” was launched collaboratively by Netflix and the cultural organization “Aafaq.”
Participants
Hosted by the Dubai Media Council, the session featured Reema Mismar, Executive Director of the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, and Blin Mifeli from Netflix. The duo provided an impressive insight into empowering women in the fields of directing and production, detailing the training program that supported 20 young Arab talents from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, and Kuwait.
In her remarks to the media, Reema Mismar explained that the “Short Film Lab” is not merely a training program but a “real laboratory for refreshing perspectives and reevaluating the directorial projects presented by women through their own lenses, exploring their relationships with themselves, each other, and the societal issues they face daily.”
She added, “During the session, we screened five short films featuring 25 women actively involved in all stages of production, from writing to directing to editing, reflecting the vibrancy and authenticity of the experience.”
Misbar emphasized that what is lacking in film production in the region is not only financial support but also a spirit of collaboration among artists and institutions. She praised the vital human role played by the trainers throughout this initiative, stating that the training process requires “generosity, love, and the ability to accompany each content creator in her project until the very end.”
Rasha Al-Aoun, the director of photography and lighting for the five films, expressed that the experience was one of the most remarkable of her career. She said, “I worked with women from diverse ages and cultural backgrounds, and I was careful not to impose restrictions but instead provided each director a free space to express her vision and the circumstances of her film.”
Real-Life Stories
The screening of the five films showcased a daring diversity in themes and approaches. Among them was “No Trace of Horizon,” written and directed by Iman Khalifa, produced by Zainab Abdelaziz, filmed by Tara Al-Khas, and edited by Rougina Tarek. The filmmakers noted that the experience offered them a valuable opportunity to explore the differences in vision and treatment, underscoring how the support from “Aafaq” helped them craft their stories professionally without compromising their identities.
The film “No Trace of Horizon” intertwines feelings of alienation and longing through the story of a mother waiting for her migrant son, Omar, who fled from war. She struggles to maintain her composure through sporadic phone calls that neither heal her pain nor soothe her wait.
The second film, titled “Salam’s Koshary,” tells the story of a little girl named Salam who loves soccer in an Arab community but faces bullying and rejection for daring to play with boys in the street. Neighbors chastise her mother, asserting that playing outside is “unsuitable for girls.”
The film “Another Place,” written and directed by Haya Al-Ghanem and produced by Raghad Baajabi, tells the story of a teenage girl. In “About Their Ghosts,” director Soha Bilal delves into the isolation of an elderly woman suffering from Alzheimer’s, living in a stifling world filled with fragmented memories and heavy emptiness, accompanied by a young nurse seeking the true meaning of family and belonging in a fragile psychological balance between past and present.
Meanwhile, “Revolt of Rage,” directed by Aisha Shahtoug, narrates the tale of two sisters facing violence.
A Space for Self-Expression
This initiative, which falls under the “Netflix Fund for Creative Talent,” spanned five months, encompassing training, production, and editing phases, along with advisory sessions on scripting and directing. The experience culminated in a special film screening event held alongside the Arab Media Summit.
The session provided a tangible example of the importance of empowering Arab women in the film industry as directors and storytellers of narratives that no one else can recount, in a changing landscape with an audience increasingly ready to hear their voices.