Haifaa Al Mansour is set to direct another biopic about a trailblazing woman. Deadline reports that the “Mary Shelley” helmer has signed on to step behind the camera for “Let It Go,” a portrait of IT entrepreneur Dame Stephanie Shirley.
Penned by Robyn Charteris (“Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends”) and based on Shirley’s autobiography of the same name, the pic will tell the story of how Shirley, “who arrived in the UK in 1939 as a six-year-old refugee from Nazi Germany… built up an information technology business to be worth more than [$3 billion],” the source details. The pioneer was a “firm advocate of women’s rights in the workplace, creating numerous job opportunities for women at her company and also giving them shares, which made many of them rich. The early days of computing and software were heavily male-dominated, and Shirley adopted the name ‘Steve’ to help her get ahead after finding her letters penned under Stephanie were often ignored.”
Al Mansour is known for empowering portraits of women who rebel against society’s constraints. She made her feature debut with 2012’s “Wadjda,” the story of a Saudi girl who dreams of owning a bicycle. Since then, her credits have included a biopic of “Frankenstein’s” author, Elle Fanning-starrer “Mary Shelley,” and “The Perfect Candidate,” the story of a small town doctor who runs for municipal council. The latter made its world premiere at this year’s Venice Film Festival and went on to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival and BFI London Film Festival, among other fests. No word on a release date yet.
“We couldn’t have found a more appropriate filmmaker to bring this story to the screen than the extraordinary Haifaa Al-Mansour. Dame Stephanie’s story shares DNA with ‘Wadjda’ on the rooftop with her bicycle and Dr. Maryam striding into the tent to have her say — determined women and girls, living life on their own terms in a man’s world,” said producer Damian Jones.
Al Mansour made history herself: she’s considered the first female filmmaker in Saudi Arabia and “Wadjda” was the first feature ever to be shot entirely inside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“Don’t focus on the things holding you back,” Al Mansour urged when we asked her advice for other women filmmakers. “It is so easy to look at all of the people, customs, ideas, or prejudices working against you. Believe me, I’ve been through it all. You have to tune that out and just focus on the things you need to do to reach your goal. As a woman there will always be people questioning your authority, doubting your ability, and hesitant to believe in your vision or ideas,” she emphasized. “All you can do is go out there and work hard and prove them wrong.”
