Saudi first female director premiere the critically acclaimed ‘The Perfect Candidate’

OSN, the region’s leading entertainment business is bringing the ground-breaking movie, ‘The Perfect Candidate’ exclusively to OSN Store, where it will be available to buy or rent. Based on a female doctor running for office in Saudi Arabia, this film will leave viewers feeling both inspired and empowered.

Directed by Haifaa Al Mansour, one of the most significant cinematic figures in the Kingdom – ‘The Perfect Candidate’ certainly lives up to its hype. The film tells the story of a young doctor Maryam (Mila Al Zahrani’s debut) who surprises everyone by standing as a candidate for the local municipality in Saudi Arabia. Maryam’s only desire is for the dirt road outside the local hospital to be surfaced, but no one takes this ambitious professional woman’s modest political mission seriously.

Al Mansour depicts Maryam’s political mission as a multi-layered family drama. She lovingly outlines how the new candidate is supported by her sisters and how her father, a musician, worries about her progressive values. On tour with his band in conservative areas, he realises Maryam’s mission is about creative openness and freedom of expression.

Al Mansour directed the film WADJDA in 2012, making her the first director to ever shoot a film in its entirety in the Kingdom. After that she quickly found her way to Hollywood, where she worked on several projects. For her latest project, ‘The Perfect Candidate’, she returned to Saudi Arabia to capture this touching story about a woman trying to break the glass ceiling.

Haifaa Al Mansour, Director of The Perfect

Candidate said: “The pace of modernisation in Saudi Arabia is incredibly rapid right now. We are seeing so many changes, happening so fast, that it is hard for people to fully grasp the full extent of what is happening. I wanted to capture this moment through my film, of a society in transition, and the ways these changes are perceived from people.” With the film being nominated for Best Film at the Venice Film Festival, FEST International Film Festival and the London Film Festival – ‘The Perfect Candidate’ is a must-see.

Rolla Karam, Vice President of Acquisitions and Head of Arabic Programming at OSN said: “OSN is all about bringing exclusive entertainment to the region and we are proud to introduce The Perfect Candidate to our exciting lineup this Eid. As a leading industry player, we are committed to celebrating local talent and making their content accessible to our customers across the Middle East. The Perfect Candidate is a stunning, feel-good movie based on hope and determination which couldn’t be timelier.” The film was made available to Buy & Keep or Rent on OSN Store from Sunday 23rd May.