The Poetess

The Poetess

HDCS/ES
Director:Stefanie Brockhaus, Andreas Wolff
Length:90 minutes
Genre:Document

Director: Stefanie Brockhaus, Andreas Wolff

A woman's mere public appearance is a violation of morality in conservative Saudi Arabia. Saudi poet Hissa Hilal did the unimaginable – she starred in a television show.

Million's Poet is no ordinary talent contest. The superstars sought among contestants from Muslim countries do not have to sing or dance, but to recite their own poetry. The professional and lay judges decided that Hissa would become the first woman to take part in the contest, and her bold poems soon made her a star of Western and Arab media. Her open criticism of conservative norms and religious gender taboos earned her enthusiastic applause, but also death threats. The film presents the story of a woman who is able to combine her deep religious beliefs with profound criticism of theocratic dogma.

Length: 90 min

Year: 2017

Country of origin:

  • Germany

Director: Stefanie Brockhaus, Andreas Wolff

A woman's mere public appearance is a violation of morality in conservative Saudi Arabia. Saudi poet Hissa Hilal did the unimaginable – she starred in a television show.

Million's Poet is no ordinary talent contest. The superstars sought among contestants from Muslim countries do not have to sing or dance, but to recite their own poetry. The professional and lay judges decided that Hissa would become the first woman to take part in the contest, and her bold poems soon made her a star of Western and Arab media. Her open criticism of conservative norms and religious gender taboos earned her enthusiastic applause, but also death threats. The film presents the story of a woman who is able to combine her deep religious beliefs with profound criticism of theocratic dogma.

Year: 2017

Country of origin:

  • Germany