First Saudi movie selected for showing at Cannes Film Festival
‘Norah,’ filmed in AlUla and directed by Tawfik Alzaidi, to compete with 19 movies in ‘new talent’ section
A Saudi film has officially been selected for the first time to be shown at the Cannes Film Festival. “Norah,” filmed entirely in AlUla and directed by Tawfik Alzaidi, is set in conservative 1990s Saudi Arabia when the pursuit of all art was banned.
It tells the story of Nader, a failed artist who becomes a schoolteacher and helps the title character to realize her artistic potential in an oppressive rural setting. Norah is played by Maria Bahrawi and Nader by Yaqoub Alfarhan.
The film had its premier in December at the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah, and will be in competition with 19 other movies in the French film festival’s prestigious “Un Certain Regard” section, which recognizes new talent and unconventional narratives. Speaking to Arab News last year before the film’s premiere, Alzaidi said that he hoped it would inspire future generations to never let a dream die.
“When audiences of the next generation see this film, I want them to remember one thing: Believe in yourself. And if you have a voice, never stop fighting for it,” he said. Bahrawi said playing Norah had inspired her not to allow anything to dissuade her from fulfilling her potential.
The role “taught me to be myself, to be true to my own spirit, and stand up for myself despite all the challenges,” she told Arab
News. “From now and for the rest of my life, because of Norah, if I don’t find support, I will support myself. I want to find success, and I’ll do it against all odds.”
The Cannes Film Festival begins on May 14 and continues until May 25.