Shahad Ameen is following in Haifaa Al-Mansour’s footsteps. “Scales” has been named as Saudi Arabia’s pick for the International Feature Film category at the 2021 Academy Awards, Deadline reports. Al-Mansour’s “Wadjda” made history as the first film the country submitted in the category, then known as Best Foreign Language Film, in 2013.

Written by Ameen, “Scales” “explores the changing role of women in society through the allegorical, magical-realist tale of Hayat, a young girl who refuses to be sacrificed to mysterious sea creatures by her village,” the source details.

The black-and-white film was shot in Oman, and made its world premiere at Venice Film Festival.

“I have always wanted to explore the Gulf region and its varied cultures and stories. I also wanted to tell a story that is set in a magical world yet deals with real issues,” Ameen told us. “I stumbled on the story of the ancient Syrian goddess Atargatis, a strong mermaid who became my inspiration. It led me to the idea that independent women get cast away in traditional societies. After exploring this theme in my short film [‘Eye & Mermaid’], I expanded upon it [in ‘Scales’], examining the role of women in society, and what happens when women choose to embrace different roles.”

The submissions deadline for the International Oscar category has now passed. Other women-directed titles in the race include Naomi Kawase’s “True Mothers” and Melina León’s “Song Without a Name.” The former, submitted by Japan, is the story of two mothers on a collision course and the latter, submitted by Peru, is based on a true story and centers on child trafficking.