While the name Haifaa Al-Mansour might not be as well known as some international filmmakers, the trailblazing director will always go down in history as the first woman to direct a feature film in Saudi Arabia, with 2012’s “Wadjda.” Obviously, due to the political and religious climate in the Middle East, women aren’t treated nearly as equal as men are, which is something Al-Mansour dives deeper into with her newest film, “The Perfect Candidate.”
And in honor of “The Perfect Candidate” receiving an official theatrical release date in May, we’re thrilled to give our audience an exclusive peek at the trailer for the feature film. “The Perfect Candidate” follows the story of a female doctor in Saudi Arabia that is desperate to get a road to her clinic paved. Unfortunately, no one considers her request, so she decides to run for public office as the town’s first female candidate. As you might expect, running for the town’s council as a woman leads to a ton of hurdles she has to overcome.
We were able to see the film when it debuted at the 2019 Venice Film Festival. In our review, we said, “Ultimately, ‘The Perfect Candidate’ is a likable exploration of female optimism and democratic willpower in a deeply conservative society. It’s also a film that manages to hang onto many traditional family-oriented values and look ahead to a different kind of future.”
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While “The Perfect Candidate” is arriving in theaters, via Music Box, on May 14, the distributor has a couple of other high-profile releases coming this summer. Following on June 18, there’s the theatrical release of acclaimed filmmaker, Francois Ozon’s “Summer of 85.” Then, on August 6, you can see Pablo Larrain’s “Ema,” which made it onto our list of the Best Films of 2020.
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You can see the exclusive trailer for “The Perfect Candidate” below.
Here’s the synopsis for the film:
A revealing look at the changing roles of women in Saudi Arabia from director Haifaa Al Mansour (WADJDA), THE PERFECT CANDIDATE follows Maryam, a determined young doctor who runs for city council after the male incumbent repeatedly ignores her request to fix the muddy road leading to her clinic. Despite her father and her community’s struggle to accept her as their town’s first female candidate, Maryam’s creative and ambitious campaign builds momentum, becoming a symbol for a larger movement.
