15 women graduate in film and media

EMPOWERING WOMEN: Many commercial radio and television channels are unaware of the fact that King Saud University offers film and television courses for women.

JEDDAH: Fifteen female students, including one with visual disability, recently graduated from the film and media department at King Saud University with skills to write scripts, and direct television and film projects.
Sara Al-Twayan, one of the graduates, told a local newspaper: “I have a passion for photography so I studied media. This has enhanced my skills and I hope to set up a media company with only women employees. Also, I hope at a later stage to continue my higher studies in international relations.”
She said a challenge while studying was that there were no trainers available for the university’s fully equipped studios, so there was mostly a focus on theory. However, the students were able to learn a great deal about film production including sound systems.
She said that many commercial radio and television channels were unaware that King Saud University offered these courses for women. But several of the students decided to visit these companies, which were surprised to see that they were skilled in all forms of production.
Dalia Aldoghmi, another graduate, said that she had been attracted to the media since she was a child. “I took control of the radio station at my school every year. I want to get a job working as a television presenter. I also want to continue my higher studies in political science and then hopefully join the BBC.”
Afaf Daifalla said she has a passion for directing short films, soap operas and script writing. “This is why I studied audio-visual media.” She said one of her study projects was writing and directing a documentary film on obsessive compulsive disorder, in addition to another drama in which she cast her fellow students as characters.
She said the Ministry of Culture and Information provided for training at the Radio and Television Commission. She hopes that the stigma attached to such work is overcome. “I hope this changes sometime soon and people look at this profession in the same way as they do medicine, law and other occupations,” she said.
Zahrah Al-Thamen, a graduate student with special needs, said: “Being blind did not discourage me from insisting on taking up the course.” She said her diligence convinced the department that she was serious about her studies. She recently entered a contest with a story entitled “Between Light and Darkness,” about a woman struggling to overcome her disability.
Muna Alshahri, another student, said it was a dream come true to complete the course because she could not find one for many years. When King Saud University offered the course in 2013 she enrolled immediately.
Alshahri said she wants to produce and direct films. She said that working in the media required sensitivity to how viewers would react to the content. Another important issue was that it required great skill to produce good work.