Maryam is an ambitious young doctor living in a small Saudi town. Despite her undoubted skills, she must fight for the respect of her colleagues as well as patients. When she unexpectedly decides to run for office in local elections, it stirs up aversion not only in the community, but even within her own family. Will Maryam succeed in overcoming the conventions and prejudices she must face as the first female candidate for an official post in the town's history?

Haifaa Al Mansour

This distinctive filmmaker of the Arab world and the first female director in Saudi Arabia studied literature in Cairo and film in Sydney. She enchanted film critics already with her short films, and her documentary debut caused ripples all over the media. Her work's central motif is intolerance and women's equality. Her film The Perfect Candidate premiered in the competition at Venice IFF.