Storytelling: A Common Thread of Humanity | Fatima Al-Banawi 160

2025-09-29

A Saudi storyteller, actor, writer, and director whose work blends art with social impact, Fatima is the founder of Alf Wad Production House and The Other Story Project, initiatives that have transformed storytelling into a tool for cultural dialogue and community building.Her breakout role in Barakah Meets Barakah (2016), Saudi’s submission to the Oscars, helped shape the country’s new cinematic wave. Named a “Next Generation Leader” by Time Magazine and described as the “Sophie Calle of Saudi Arabia” by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fatima has ...

Her breakout role in Barakah Meets Barakah (2016), Saudi’s submission to the Oscars, helped shape the country’s new cinematic wave. Named a “Next Generation Leader” by Time Magazine and described as the “Sophie Calle of Saudi Arabia” by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fatima has become one of the most recognized creative voices from the Kingdom. She holds a Master’s degree from Harvard University, where she researched Arab identity and gender representation in cinema and literature.

0:00 Intro

2:34 Childhood Background

6:47 Control, Messiness Acceptance

13:00 Parents, Resentment Empathy

22:03 Imposter Syndrome

35:13 Barakah Public Reaction

41:50 Writing/Directing vs Acting

45:30 Owning the Narrative

55:04 Saudi Film Ecosystem Grows

59:34 “The Other Story”

1:11:24 Globalization Cinema

1:19:32 Alwad: A Thousand Valleys to the Heart