Sinopsis
Fiction. Mary Shelley unfolds the history of the young Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin (Elle Fanning) and her heated and tempestuous affair with the romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (Douglas Booth). Both feel an immediate attraction when they meet parallel to the opposition of Mary’s family to the relationship, the young couple decide to flee, together with her step sister, Claire (Bel Powley). The ups and downs in the relationship become acute during their stay in the house of Lord Byron (Tom Sturridge) in Geneve and it is there where Mary conceives the idea for Frankestein, when, as a game, they propose to all the guests to write a a ghost story. Mary will be forced to challenge those biases to protect her work and fashion her own personality.
Haifaa Al Mansour is the first female filmmaker in Saudi Arabia and is regarded as one of the most significant cinematic figures in the Kingdom. She finished her bachelor’s degree in Literature at the American University in Cairo and completed a Master’s degree in Directing and Film Studies from the University of Sydney. The success of her three short films, as well as the international acclaim of her award-winning 2005 documentary Women Without Shadows, influenced a whole new wave of Saudi filmmakers and made the issue of opening cinemas in the Kingdom a front-page discussion. Within the Kingdom her work is both praised and vilified for encouraging discussion on topics generally considered too taboo, like tolerance, the dangers of orthodoxy, and the need for Saudis to take a critical look at their traditional and restrictive culture.
Screening 1: Fundación Euroárabe de Granada
March, 6th 2019. 6 pm
Screening 2: Casa Árabe en Madrid
March, 8th 2019. 7:30 pm
Screening 3: Casa Árabe en Córdoba
March, 15th 2019. 8 pm
Section Contemporary Arab Directors
Year of production: 2017
Running Time: 120′
Country: United States of America
Language: English
Director: Haifaa Al-Mansour
Cast: Elle Fanning, Douglas Booth, Bel Powley, Maisie Williams, Joane Froggatt, Tom Sturridge and Stephen Dillane
Producer: Alan Moloney, Ruth Coady and Amy Baer
Production Companies: Gidden Media, HanWay Films, Parallel Films, Head Gear Films, Juliette Films, Metrol Technology and Sobini Films.
International Sales: IFC Films
Main Festivals and awards: Edimburgh International Film Festival, Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival and World Soundtrack Awards
