The tide is changing. Traditionally, the Arab world film industry has been dominated by men. But in recent times women have been making forays and bridging the gender divide. And their efforts will be highlighted at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival to be held from November 17 to 24 in the Qatari capital.
The festival opens with New York based-Indian filmmaker Mira Nair’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist. Eight Qatari films helmed by women directors and eleven films by Arab women filmmakers will be screened in the Festival’s Arab Film Competition. The Contemporary World Cinema, Special Screenings, and Tribute to Algerian Cinema will feature another six films directed by women.
Some films of note include Solar Mama by Jehane Noujaim and Mona Al Daif, which follows the story of a Jordanian Bedouin mother, who leaves her home to travel to India to obtain an education and Lyrics Revolt by Shannon Farhoud, Ashlene Ramadan, Melanie Fridgant and Rana Khalid Al Khateeb, a documentary that started as a student project at Northwestern University in Qatar, exploring the events of Arab Spring through hip hop artists of the Middle East.
Venus and Serena, Maiken Baird and Michelle Major’s documentary on the two tennis champions will also be screened.
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