JEDDAH: Cast members from Saudi director Haifaa Al-Mansour’s latest film, “Unidentified,” took to the red carpet at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah on Sunday.
Aziz Gharbawi, Somaya Al-Shareef, Intisar Al-Shareef, Othoub Sharar, and Abduallah Al-Qahtani attended the premiere alongside co-producer and co-scriptwriter Brad Niemann.
Lead star Mila Al-Zahrani and director Al-Mansour did not attend the event.
Aziz Gharbawi at the premiere. (Getty Images)
The screening in Saudi Arabia comes after the crime thriller premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
“Nawal Al-Saffan, a 29-year-old divorcee, returns to her small hometown for a fresh start. A fan of true crime podcasts, she gets a mundane clerical job at the local police station, digitizing old files,” the film’s official logline states.
“Her life changes when a teenage girl’s body is found in her school uniform, with no ID. Haunted by the girl’s senseless death, Nawal decides to investigate.
“She uses her insight into the hidden world of women to identify the victim, befriending a group of women and other characters that all seem connected to the crime.
“To solve the mystery, she must challenge her preconceived notions about women and their threats.”
Intisar Al-Shareef. (Getty Images)
The film was co-written by Al-Mansour, who also directed “The Perfect Candidate.”
This summer, the pioneering Saudi filmmaker was appointed to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ board of governors.
In 2012, Al-Mansour made history with the release of her first feature film, “Wadjda.” It was the first feature film shot entirely in the Kingdom, and made by a female Saudi director.
Al-Mansour has become one of the most in-demand television directors in Hollywood, helming episodes of hit series including “Archive 81,” “City of Fire,” “Tales of the Walking Dead,” and “Bosch: Legacy.”
In 2019, Al-Mansour’s feature film “The Perfect Candidate” was submitted as Saudi Arabia’s entry for the International Feature Film Award at the 92nd Academy Awards, but was not nominated.
