Inspired by Saudi women while working on her previous documentary The Poetess [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
fiche film], about Hissa Hilal, the first woman to reach the finals of the Arab world’s biggest poetry competition, Stefanie Brockhaus returned to the country to make another film, this time about a courageous driving instructor called Azza. We sat down to talk about the challenges faced by both women while filming Azza [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Stefanie Brockhaus
fiche film], which is currently screening in the Horizons of Arab Cinema Competition at the Cairo International Film Festival, as the only European production in the section.

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Cineuropa: How did you decide to make a film about a Saudi woman, and what is your connection to the country?
Stefanie Brockhaus: I first travelled to Saudi Arabia in 2011 for The Poetess, which took five years to complete. When I finished that, I realised there were so many fascinating women in the country, and I wanted to make another film.

At the time, Saudi Arabia was going through a period of major change – new laws were being introduced, women were being granted more rights, and some of the strictest regulations were being lifted. For example, the religious police, the so-called “mutawas”, were abolished, and women were finally allowed to drive. So, I met my protagonist Azza while researching driving teachers. I wanted to make a film about the younger generation of Saudi women and their search for freedom.

Was it easy to persuade her to take part?
It’s generally difficult to make a film in Saudi Arabia, especially one about women. People rarely talk openly about their personal lives – it’s not part of the culture. But with Azza, we built a strong relationship based on trust. She was curious and brave enough to embark on this journey. Some members of her family were not comfortable with the idea, but she believed it was worthwhile and wanted to share her story. It wasn’t always easy, but it was possible thanks to her courage.

Azza comes across as a positive person despite her struggles. What gives her motivation?
She has a lot of energy, and simply wants to be happy and free – that’s something everyone can relate to. At the same time, she wants to be loved and respected, but in her context, freedom often means losing that respect.

That’s part of what makes her story so powerful. While many around her chose to conform, she refused to obey. Her strength and refusal to accept what she doesn’t believe in make her a compelling protagonist. Also, she’s not political; she often doesn’t even know what laws exist. She simply acts on instinct. She has her own moral and spiritual compass – you could say her own “religion”.

She also speaks very good English, even though she left school at 16. How did she learn?
She’s self-taught. After quitting school, she took online courses, watched films and talked to people. She’s not afraid to engage with others and learns everything by doing.

Until recently, cinemas were prohibited in Saudi Arabia. How did this affect your shooting experience?
Things have changed a lot. Ten years ago, filming was extremely difficult, but today, people are used to filming with their phones, and the film industry is thriving. Cinemas have opened, and people consume movies regularly. However, documentaries are still viewed differently as they deal with reality and people’s lives, which makes them more suspicious in the public eye. Fiction is widely accepted, but documentary filmmaking still raises eyebrows.

We didn’t face major problems, but filming without a permit is difficult. You can’t film near government buildings, schools or police stations. We had to adapt our methods, shooting mainly in private homes, in the desert and inside cars.

Was it difficult to obtain a filming permit?
Yes. For The Poetess, it took us over a year to get a visa and a permit, and it was similar for Azza. We worked with a Saudi service producer – a local woman who handled our filming-permit application. If you want to shoot there, you must go through a local company. The authorities wanted to know what we were filming, what subjects we’d tackled before and where our work had been published.

Did you have a lot of material to choose from in the editing phase?
Yes, we shot much more than what ended up in the film. Some scenes were too personal or too risky for Azza, so we had to strike a delicate balance between what could be shown and what had to remain private. She saw the film and even came to France and Germany for the festivals, but she faced a lot of pressure from her family. It hasn’t been easy for her to accept the film publicly, and she no longer wants to attend festivals.