I thoroughly enjoyed this personal look into this lovely Saudi poetess who, with simple words, caused a huge uproar and showed extreme bravery in a culture where women should not be seen nor heard. In addition to the actual contest, this documentary reviews the short history of the area, a look into the religion through the eyes of a regular mother and a tiny glimpse into the lives of women in the country.
2 Reviews
Women's life in Saudi Arabia
chong_an25 April 2018
While other women have occasionally entered this Arab-world-wide Poetry writing and reading contest, she is the 1st to reach the finals, and she did it with fiery denunciations of anti-women culture and religious extremism.
In between scenes of her audition and on-stage performance, she shows us her teaching her daughter how to behave "properly" in Saudi Arabia so she would not attract attention. She also gives her view of how women's rights have eroded over the years. As Bedouins in the desert, practicality was paramount. As men moved to easier life in the cities, the restrictions on women grew. Eventually, though, it was the Saudi royal family that accepted religious extremism in return for continued political and economic power.
In between scenes of her audition and on-stage performance, she shows us her teaching her daughter how to behave "properly" in Saudi Arabia so she would not attract attention. She also gives her view of how women's rights have eroded over the years. As Bedouins in the desert, practicality was paramount. As men moved to easier life in the cities, the restrictions on women grew. Eventually, though, it was the Saudi royal family that accepted religious extremism in return for continued political and economic power.
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