Women on the Verge: Haifaa Al Mansour's 'The Perfect Candidate'

The second fiction feature made by trailblazing Saudi director Haifaa Al Mansour in her homeland, this tale of a woman's struggle against patriarchal limitations carries universal resonance in a world that remains broadly hostile to female political leadership. As Anthony Carew writes, the film's narrative also closely mirrors the director's own trajectory, finally getting the opportunity to openly make art in a country that has only recently begun to find a place for it.

Additional keywords:
Wadjda, feminism, Islam, Saudi Arabia, politics, Dubai, music, culture, patriarchy, conservatism