Last year, Netflix launched the 'Because She Created' platform to invite Arab women filmmakers to discuss the changing role of women in the Arab film industry.
Netflix has released a specially curated collection of 21 Arab films today, July 7, by women filmmakers spanning various genres, including documentaries, drama, and romance, via a dedicated collection on the service titled ‘Because She Created’.
The collection includes the works of critically acclaimed Algerian, Egyptian, Jordanian, Kuwaiti, Lebanese, Moroccan, Palestinian, Saudi, Sudanese, Syrian, and Tunisian directors, and celebrates the creativity of the Arab world’s greatest female storytellers. The new collection celebrates the creativity of the Arab world’s female storytellers and aims to give more people a chance to see their lives reflected on screen.
Cinematic masterpieces like Let’s Talk by Marianne Khoury invite viewers to dive into the life of her late uncle and Egyptian Director Youssef Chahine, Nariss Nejjar’s Stateless reflects on North African history from a female perspective, Suha Arraf’s Villa Touma, Leyla Bouzid’s A Tale of Love and Desire, Fatma Zamoun’s multi-character drama Parkour and Suzannah Mirghani’s Al-Sit – all bring fresh and underrepresented narratives to life, placing the female perspective front and centre. Other films include Sanctity by Saudi filmmaker Ahd Kamel, Bint Werdan by Kuwaiti director Maysaa Almunin, Sleepless Nights by Egyptian filmmaker Maggie Morgan, The Room by Algerian filmmaker Latifa Said and Selma’s Home by Jordanian filmmaker Hanadi Elyan, among others.
In a statement, Nuha el Tayeb, Director of Content Acquisitions, Netflix (MENA and Turkey) said: “We’re proud to be telling more stories by Arab filmmakers that can resonate with women from all walks of life and from around the world. More women behind the camera also has a ripple effect on women in front of it and the stories in this collection showcase the work of Arab women filmmakers in the region. Together, their voices provide inspiration for the wider creative community, while highlighting the importance of equitable representation in storytelling, and why it matters.”
Netflix launched the ‘Because She Created’ platform last year as a virtual panel discussion hosting Arab women filmmakers to talk about the evolving role of women in the Arab film industry. Following its success, Netflix also teamed up with the Cairo International Film Festival to host the second edition of ‘Because She Created’ as a chat with renowned Tunisian actress Hend Sabry.
