Over the past decade, we have seen homegrown, talented Saudi filmmakers push societal boundaries and create some of the best movies to date. Each movie explores the story of young adults finding their voices – from the story of a lonely man who works as a security guard in a morgue to that of a young girl Sarah dares to dream of becoming a professional soccer player.
These movies will hopefully inspire your inner badass and/or keep you occupied for the next few days.
Wadjda
The very first Saudi Arabian movie directed by a woman centers a young girl who really wants a bike to compete against her best friend who happens to be a boy in her neighborhood. The movie shows and talks about the various traditions and norms that women are limited to in the arab society.
Wasati
The play which was originally called “Wasati bela Wastiah” which translates to “A Moderate Without a Middle-Ground,” is based on true events that happened in Riyadh 10 years ago where a play was shut down after the theathre was attacked by a group of extremists. The movie address the story from a different and unexpected point of view.
Six Windows in the Desert
This movie consists of six short series which was shot over five years in different cities in Saudi. Each short movie shows, which is 20 minutes each shows an interesting story highlighting different topics that were now always spoken about in the traditional arab society, from extremism, social taboos and the human psyche. The short movie are now available on Netflix.
The Corporation
If you love a movie that combines formal interviews as well as re-enactments, then The Corporation is about to be your favourite movie. The movie tells the story of a married couple who have been married for 40 years. In the movie, the couple talks about their experiences through each stage of marriage – beginning with the proposal, through to courtship, wedding preparation, wedding night and everything in between.
Aayesh
The story about a man who guards a morgue in Saudi, one day amidst his lonely daily routine, his life is altered for 10 minutes, which brings about a significant change for him.
The Arabia Warrior
Directed by Aymen Khoja, he tells the story of the struggles of a young Saudi who, having studied at America’s university and excelled in soccer, is torn between his father’s values and the independence he witnessed in the United States.
The Great Muse
This movie tells the story of a high school graduate who is under pressure to make a University choice. He decides to explore the city of Saudi to find answers for himself as he hopes to make the right decision.
Hadaf
Sarah dares to dream and follow her passion of becoming a football player even though Saudi’s conservative culture sees certain sports as “male sports”. Will she challenge the society and pursue her passion? Well, you have to watch the movie to see what happens. (laserdocmd.com)
Masameer the Movie
The animated mini-series tells the story of Dana, a Saudi girl who is passionate about robots and artificial intelligence. She decided to embark on a journey to change the world using robotics.
Barakah Meets Barakah
An interesting watch which tells a love story between a man from a middle-class family who falls in love with a girl from a wealthy family and begin a romance in a country that frowns upon it.