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Arabian Swan

Fahad Aljoudi
Saudi Arabia, 2016, 11 min.

In English.

Noor loves to dance, but when her overprotective brother, Ahmed, finds out she is doing it behind his back, he tells her to quit or he will take her back to Saudi. Noor must then decide whether her love for her brother is greater than her passion for dance.

Director's Statement

I can really relate to this story because I am from Saudi Arabia and I am living in America. There are many cultural differences, but there are also many similarities. There have been times where I have felt trapped by my culture and I struggled with that, just as Noor and Ahmed do in my story. It is hard to change, or adapt in a new culture while still keeping your core values. I wanted to show that dancing does not have to be forbidden. These cultures can come together and accept each other for their similarities and their differences. I believe that this film will appeal to a lot of different people. Many people have felt trapped by their culture at some point. Many people don't see how two cultures that are very different can get along and coexist. This film is very relatable to both Saudi Arabians and Americans. People from all over can make a connection to these characters.

Category: Drama.
Themes: Culture, Identity, World Cinema.

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