Young Saudi Arabian writer-director Shahad Ameen is making a splash in Venice with her debut feature “Scales,” a feminist fable that draws on Arabic folklore about a young woman named H…
,” a feminist fable that draws on Arabic folklore about a young woman named Hayat who rebels against the tradition in her fishing village of sacrificing female children to monstrous mermaids lurking in the sea. She spoke toabout the long journey of this visually impressive and narratively bold depiction of patriarchal power that packs a subtle but incisive punch.
It’s pretty clear that the film is quite personal. But it’s set in a timeless world that is not nationalistically defined. Males write history, and they write the cycle of this world…I wanted to tell a timeless story because it could happen anytime and, really, any place. In Europe, in the U.S. the prejudices [against women] are more hidden. But, believe, me they are there.
What’s your hope for the film getting seen and understood in the Arab world? Do you feel it can have an impact, that it packs a punch? Yes, I do. That’s why I made it. But a hidden punch. I didn’t feel a need to be very obvious about things. I wanted the film to have my identity; I love period pieces. I wanted it to be like the poetry I like. When I read Arab poetry I always feel like it has our identity and our voice. But when I watch our movies I feel like we haven’t established a very strong visual voice. I wanted to have that. I don’t care about action. My story is a story of contemplation; of meditation.
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