When Maryam, a hardworking young doctor in a small-town clinic, is prevented from flying to Dubai for a conference without a male guardian’s approval, she seeks help from a politically connected cousin but inadvertently registers as a candidate for the municipal council. Maryam sees the election as a way to fix the muddy road in front of her clinic, but her campaign slowly garners broader appeal.
“Haifaa Al-Mansour crafts a story that’s part family drama and part parable of female activism, set in Saudi Arabia.” — Glenn Kenny, New York Times
“The Perfect Candidate is fresh and hopeful not just because of the series of rather schematic triumphs that its narrative describes, but because it is a specific portrait.” — Jessica Kiang, Rolling Stone
directed by
Haifaa al-Mansour
Haifaa al-Mansour