Haifaa Mansur is a Saudi movie director. Her work was shown in many international film festivals.

Tell us about your last movie “Me and the Other”.

The movie is about three young men, each of them different from the other. They get into a situation that forces all of them to accept each another in order to get themselves out of trouble. It was shown in an American university while I was taking part in a program “Movies in the USA” which is part of cultural exchange. This was at Central Florida University and was a huge success because of America’s interest in learning about Saudi people who are so different from Americans. After opening in the US it participated in “United Arab Emirates Film” where I won an award. I feel that my directorial vision has developed and my desire to do something new and distinguished has increased.

Do you find it strange to be a director in Saudi Arabia?

Maybe being a director isn’t something many girls in our community do. It is new and what is new always faces disagreement and conflict. I consider myself to be still at the beginning but I’ve begun in the right way.

Why did you choose to direct movies even though TV series are more popular?

I love the cinema but I wouldn’t mind working on television if I found a good project.

As a female director, don’t you have a great many difficulties?

Most of them are cinematic and not because I am a woman. Among the most difficult is the financing issue especially for non-commercial cinema. Another difficulty is finding Saudis who are trained in production, audio and video work.

What about your family? Didn’t they object to your directorial work?

On the contrary. My parents supported me and my brothers and sisters took part in my first film. They all supported me and I would not have been successful if they had not all supported me. In my first films, I was taking a risk so I used my family members; one wrote the script and another acted in the film with me.

So you have acted and directed?

Yes. As for acting I can’t really judge how successful I am but I enjoy it. I hope to act with another director so that I can learn more and become more capable.

What do you think about Gulf dramas, particularly “Tash Ma Tash.”

I think it’s among the most important and significant of works. It opened the way and made it possible for us to make our presence known among Arab viewers. I am one of its fans.

And what about music clips?

I’d love to do music clips. And if I were presented with an offer, I wouldn’t say no whether it was for a well-known person or not. What’s important is the quality of the project.

Have you encountered problems from other directors because you are a woman?

I think being a woman is actually in my favor. It drives them to encourage me. Abdul Khaleq Ghanem, the director of”Tash Ma Tash,” called me and congratulated me for my success.

What do you think of the future for Gulf cinema?

If cinema in the Gulf is successful, it will begin in the UAE. They have the resources and technological know-how.

What are your future plans?

I have many obligations that compel me to travel, especially to Arab festivals and competitions. For example, in Ismailia and Rotterdam. There will also be an Arabic film festival in France and a Women’s Film Festival in Turkey. There have also been some offers regarding new directorial works that have not yet been finalized. Probably I will announce something soon.