Saudi film director Haifaa Al-Mansour has been named as one of the recipients of the 25th Annual Crystal Award, which celebrates the achievements of leading artists and cultural figures. Conductor Marin Alsop and broadcaster and naturalist, Sir David Attenborough were the other recipients, the World Economic Forum announced. The winners will be honoured in the opening session of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2019 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, on January 21. Al-Mansour has been honoured for her leadership in cultural transformation in the Arab world, the Forum said in a statement. She is the first female filmmaker in Saudi Arabia and ‘Wadjda’, her feature debut, was the first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and the first by a female director. She was recently appointed to the board of the General Authority for Culture to advise on the development of the cultural and arts sectors in Saudi Arabia. n
COMMENTS