Scales
Set in a dystopian world, Scales, the debut of Jeddah-born filmmaker Shahad Ameen, is a fable about a small fishing village and the mermaids that live in its surrounding waters, and a young girl who defies tradition to set her own path forward. With the film, Ameen herself forges an equally singular path, forging one of the most visually stunning films of the last decade, a poetic dream that at times becomes something of a nightmare.
Watch it on: Netflix
Wadjda
Wadjda was a small miracle when it was first released, a film that showed the world that a country in which cinemas did not yet exist had a filmic voice all its own, one deeply in touch with the history of film across the globe. In the story of a 10 year old girl living in Riyadh, the spirit of Saudi Arabia was present, both in its joys and its struggles. There’s flashes of Truffaut’s The 400 Blows, nods to Vittorio De Sica’s The Bicycle Thieves and echoes of Jafar Manahi’s Offside, but ultimately this film’s voice is all Haifaa al-Mansour’s, who brought to life a story that was both intimate, deeply personal, but profoundly universal, showing the world that the Saudi heart beats like their own.
Watch it on: Netflix, OSN Streaming App
Cinema 500 km
Long before cinemas returned to the Kingdom, acclaimed filmmaker Abdullah Al-Eyaf crafted a story about a land full of film fans with no place to unite them. It’s a documentary that follows a man named Tariq Al-Husaini, a diehard film fan who has never had the chance to see a movie on the big screen. After securing a passport, Al-Husaini travels to Bahrain to visit a picturehouse for the first time, a powerful journey that shows what cinema means to the nation.
Watch it on: VOD
The Perfect Candidate
After two films made in the West, al-Mansour returned to a transformed Saudi Arabia in 2019 with The Perfect Candidate, this time tackling the story of a young woman doctor who runs for office in her city’s municipal elections, examining the difficulties that women must overcome to achieve success with an unflinching eye and an empathetic heart, a rallying cry for empowerment and a biting satire of local politics.
Watch it on: OSN Streaming App
Barakah Meets Barakah
This Saudi comedy drama from filmmaker Mahmoud Sabbagh tells the story of the pain and humour to be found when romance crosses class barriers, as a middle class man falls in love with a girl from a wealthy family, and becomes a pointed commentary on modern Saudi Arabia itself, calling for Saudi to return to some of the values that it has lost as it forges its new future. The film marked the second time Saudi submitted a film to the Academy Awards, bringing to a global audience the warmth and good-natured humour that the Kingdom is famous for.
Watch it on: Netflix
The Book of Sun (Shams Al-Ma’arif)
Faris Godus’ film didn’t get the debut it should have, originally supposed to get a big premiere at the first Red Sea International Film Festival before being delayed due to the pandemic, the film debuted on cinemas at a time few were going before finding a second life on Netflix. The film is worth seeking out, following a Saudi teenager making a low-budget horror movie with his friends, rival and teacher as the group discover their passion for the medium. A comedy first and foremost, the film is full of heart, a huge heaping of humour, and a passionate, authentic inside look at the lives of aspiring creatives in the Kingdom.
Watch it on: Netflix
