Saudi female director Shahad Ameen's film "Scales" was selected for this year's Oscar country nomination in the international feature film category. The official country candidate "Scales" is centered around Arabic folklore about a young woman named Hayat played by Basima Hajjar. Hayat rebels against the tradition of sacrificing female children in her fishing village to monstrous mermaids lurking in the sea. 

 

The notable film won the Verona Film Club award in 2019 and has been shown in London, Carthage, Cairo, Singapore, SXSW 2020, and Saudi Arabia. Variance Films will be releasing the film in the U.S. next year.

 

“Scales” will be Saudi Arabia’s fourth ever submission to the  Oscars and The 93rd Academy Awards will take place on April 25, 2021. Will you be watching?