Flair Magazine Netflix’s latest original Middle Eastern series AlRawabi School for Girls is a youthful high school drama produced entirely with a female Arab cast and crew. Written and directed by Jordanian director Tima Shomali in collaboration with writer Shirin Kamal, the show brings a fresh perspective to Arab content and provides a great platform for fresh female Arab voices.
AlRawabi School for Girls is the story of how a bullied girl sets out to get revenge on her bullies, only to find out that no one is all bad and no one is all good, including herself. This would be the second Middle Eastern original reflective of Netflix’s commitment to invest in the Middle East and explore greater stories and talents outside of the mainstream shows we’re always watching.
Commenting on the production of the series, Tima Shomali said, “AlRawabi School for Girls is a very dear project to my heart. It depicts the stories and struggles of young Arab women in a light that we hadn’t yet seen before in the region, particularly with this age group. It’s a show that stems from the eyes of women about women and I am really pleased to collaborate with Netflix and have the opportunity to tell the stories of young women in our region on such a global platform.”
Building on this sentiment, Shirin Kamal said, “The Middle East has a multitude of stories and layers that other parts of the world may have not encountered, and I hope that AlRawabi School for Girls not only resonates with women in the Middle East, but women from all over the world.”
Interesting fact is that Tima Shomali was also part of Netflix’s Ramadan “She Rules” campaign in 2017, with 30 other female content creators and social media influencers, which aimed to celebrate strong female leads, both on and off the screen. When Shomali announced the show to her fans on Instagram, comments and messages poured in from her fans congratulating her and expressing their excitement for the show.
Al Rawabi School for Girls launches in 2019, and will be produced in collaboration with Filmizion, a Jordanian Film and TV Production company founded by Shomali.
