'The Perfect Candidate': A Film Challenging Patriarchy
The Perfect Candidate is a film directed by Haifaa Al Mansour and is the first feature film to be directed by a Saudi woman. This film challenged many things, specifically, the patriarchal system in Saudi Arabia. One of the first images that are on the screen is that of the main character Maryam driving, something that has only been allowed in Saudi Arabia since 2017.
The storyline of this film starts with Maryam being a doctor at a very underfunded local clinic where it is very difficult to treat people. Not only is the lack of funding causing immense issues, but the lack of men crediting her work as a doctor creates a very toxic work environment. One thing that stood out to me pretty clearly in the film was the immense hatred towards women in the hospital in particular, up to the point where they would rather not get treated in an emergency if that treatment were to come from a female doctor. Maryam wanted a better opportunity for her job and with that, it meant flying out of the country. However, in Saudi Arabia, you must have permission from the male authority in one's life. With an expired permit, Maryam had no choice but to ask her cousin for help. This led to her opening up her running status for a place in the municipal council. Running for the municipal meant that she could better fund the clinic she worked at but it was also dangerous as she was a woman running in a predominately male area.
Maryam, to me, was a very brave woman. She stood up for what she believed in and didn't let anyone change her mind. The overlying support her family had was also very heartwarming. One thing that I saw a lot of was women who were not trying to make a change, which brought to my mind the privilege some have that allows them to be able to speak up. Around the world, people are facing different injustices and not everyone can speak up.
I personally liked how the film ended. Maryam struggled with embracing the way her family worked and what they did. However, in the end, she embraced it. This was something I felt I related to, which allowed me to further realize how significant the ending was within the context of her family. I liked that, in the end, even though Maryam did not win the local election, she realized she had her voice heard and that she had people supporting her even against all odds. Change starts somewhere small, and it’s not always winning but taking losses that are part of the process to achieve change.
