In a dutiful act of generosity, Netflix has granted the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture $250M to help fund a shortlist of films being created by female Arab filmmakers. This is the second time the streaming company has donated to this organization, the first time being given to the region in the height of COVID-19.
This time, however, the money will be going directly to new projects. In Morocco, Asmae El Moudir will use her share for her documentary The Mother of All Lies. Sarra Abidi from Tunisia will use the money for her film My Name Is Clara. Then from Lebanon, Diala Kachmar’s From the Other Shore, Jana Wehbe’s The Day Vladimir Died, and Tania Khoury’s Manity make up the other three films also receiving financial support from the grant.
Netflix’s director of content acquisitions for the Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey – Nuha El Tayeb – penned in a blog post how it’s high time Arab women receive the proper representation they deserve, on and off screen, and how this donation is in honor of supporting a community that has existed in entertainment for a long time but has since been overlooked.
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