Sleepless in Saudi: Mahmoud Sabbagh's Barakah Meets Barakah and the Romantic Comedy

Ostensibly a mere rom-com, Barakah Meets Barakah – only the second feature film ever to originate from Saudi Arabia – comes complete with meet-cute, kooky dates and worlds-apart lovers. Its story certainly prompts flutters of the heart, but the film is also director Mahmoud Sabbagh's vehicle for critiquing the kingdom's repressive restrictions on romance, gender and public space, writes Anthony Carew.

Additional keywords: censorship, conservatism, politics.