‘I’m living these stories,’ says Saudi female director Hind Al-Fahhad

Five Saudi female directors will present their new drama “Becoming” at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah.

The 70-minute, Arabic-language film features five short narratives, each reflecting on Saudi society and the changes it is undergoing.

Produced by the festival, “Becoming” focuses on problems confronting female characters — from a divorced mother struggling with anxiety attacks to a middleaged hairdresser considering an abortion.

The five filmmakers behind “Becoming” include Hind Al-Fahhad, whose work mostly portrays women and the psychological and physical challenges they face.

“I feel that their stories are relevant to me,” she told Arab News. “I’m still living them and they’re all around me.”

Al-Fahhad launched a creative career as a photographer in 2006. “I’m attracted to images and the idea of expressing myself visually,” she said. At the time, there were no opportunities to study film direction in Saudi Arabia, but the selftaught Al-Fahhad trained herself by reading, watching films and attending workshops.

Five years later, she began experimenting by directing short films, such as the award-winning “Basta” (“Peddlers”), showcasing her productions in Gulf film festivals.

“Every day, I’m discovering,” she said, explaining what she enjoys most about her artistic profession. “I experience a story, a situation in every film. I feel like I’ve entered people’s homes and their stories.”

Like most film professionals, Al-Fahhad’s interest in movies began at an early age, watching videotapes and listening to stories of her grandmother visiting local cinemas in the 1970s. This family story, in particular, inspired Al-Fahhad to work on her upcoming film “Sharshaf ” (“Fitted Sheet”), which will be filmed in 2022.

She is optimistic about the revival of cinema in the Kingdom, as well as the encouragement of aspiring independent filmmakers in her country.

“The situation is different now. We are living the dream,” she said.