Female Producer In The Middle East

If being a producer is tough in the film industry and being a female producer is particularly tough, then being a female producer in the Middle East is a challenge like no other, yet what if it even got worst? what if you are a female producer from a country torn apart by war and you are fighting for a vision and a dream in the middle of a community filled with prejudice?

Syrian producer Rehab Ayoub is a founder and chief producer of her own company adamzproduction. She managed to produce several award winning films like waiting for the fall. Rehab reveals in this interview the hurdles a woman has to overcome to succeed in exposing and making her films in the Middle East:

Rehab, so the first thing I would like to ask you is, the number of women in a leading role is much fewer in the Middle East than the rest of the world why?

I think it may be because women don’t have an issue with ego. We are quite happy and fine to be fixers behind the scenes, to stroke the egos and make the magic happen. I believe the way a woman’s mind is wired means we are adept at nurturing, multi-tasking, managing politics, people and running finance on the business side. We promote talent and contribute to the creative partnership as well. As the world is evolving and women’s roles and responsibilities are valued, more and more are sitting in the seats of power. A woman in control is control at its finest.

Nothing much has changed in the world of media. The number of female CEOs, those who own agencies, production companies and post-production houses are still low and the number of women choosing to direct and produce is even lower. To see women rise in the Middle East, be it behind the wheel of a car, getting into politics or in the creative arts as directors, is more impressive to me than easy opportunities in other parts of the world. It is easier to choose to be a director or producer in London or the United States, but it is really hard to be a female director/producer in the Middle East. These women are pioneers and warriors; their work will be interesting to watch because it will be fired with their personal struggles.

And what particular challenges do creative women face in your home country?

The main challenges that women face in the film industry in Syria are similar to the challenges faced by women in many other countries in this male-dominated industry. The major difference is that Syria is more socially conservative, which leads to other issues regarding the ability of women to enter into the field in the first place. The working hours of the film industry tend to be a big challenge, due to the fact that filming schedules require a lot of time and effort which can cause problems within the family—what people will say about her, if it will impact her eligibility for getting married or is she a good mother and wife?  Along with other social taboos masqueraded by the claim that this is Syrian tradition and culture.

These are tribal societies where individuality is vilified, where group-think is seen as a positive part of the culture. So stepping out of that can be a painful, scary process, but ultimately extremely rewarding and beneficial to the society’s development.

You have managed to succeed in spite of all those challenges was there any difficulties facing the outside world as a Syrian woman producer?

I would say our challenges are the same as women everywhere in film. For me, being in production, and being on set, I don’t feel specific difficulties as a woman per say. The challenge is felt, however, when trying to finance projects, and when looking for partners and funding. I think women filmmakers all over the world have this problem. The problem is not only in my field. Being seen as a woman before, being seen as a director or as a worker is truly the biggest obstacle any of us is facing in life. But just like you said, our numbers are rising and we are slowly being seen as different voices that can shed the light on things that are so important to our country. We seize to be seen as exotic.

Adamz Production’s New Film: “Waiting For The Fall”

What is your advice to upcoming women who might have film-making or producing dreams in this new generations?

My advice for any budding women directors/producers or even in any field:  forget you’re a woman, get up, get dressed and make it happen. It will never get any easier.