James R | On 15, Apr 2019

Netflix is enrolling in the AlRawabi School for Girls this summer, and a new trailer gives us a look at the teen drama.

Created by Jordanian director Tima Shomali and Shirin Kamal, the series tells the story of how a bullied girl gets revenge on her bullies, only to find out that no one is all bad, and no one is all good, including herself.

Produced with a full female Arab cast and crew, it was announced by Netflix as one of the first Middle Eastern young adult series to celebrate the role of women, not only on screen but behind the scenes as well.

Shomali says: “As a teenager, I felt the lack of shows that talked about young girls at that age. There wasn’t something that I could relate to that also entertained me. Today, there is still limited content directed at young people, particularly girls. That’s how the idea of creating a show that young girls around the world would relate to was born.

“My vision for Al Rawabi School for Girls along with co- creator Shirin Kamal was to make an Arabic drama series that will resonate with young people by creating a fictional world full of drama and secrets that tells the stories of the young high school girls of Al Rawabi.

“We also wanted to shed light on the challenges that young women face in high school. The one thing I always found lacking in most shows that talk about women is the female perception on their issues.”

The series premieres on Netflix on 12th August. Here’s the trailer:

 

AlRawabi School for Girls is available on Netflix UK, as part of an £9.99 monthly subscription.

 

AlRawabi School for Girls: Netflix enrols in high school for new Middle Eastern series

15th April 2019

Netflix is enrolling in high school in the Middle East for its new original series. Titled AlRawabi School for Girls, the youthful drama is created by Jordanian director Tima Shomali and Shirin Kamal.

Produced with a full female Arab cast and crew, the series tells the story of how a bullied girl gets revenge on her bullies, only to find out that no one is all bad, and no one is all good, including herself.

Simran Sethi, Director of International Originals at Netflix, says: “We are extremely proud to partner with Tima again to produce what is essentially the first Middle Eastern young adult series that celebrates the role of women, not only on screen, but behind the scenes as well. The story brings a fresh perspective to Middle Eastern content, and we are absolutely excited to share Al Rawabi School for Girls with our global audiences in over 190 countries.”

Netflix’s second Middle Eastern original – after Jinn, which features a cast of up and coming talent from Jordan – is reflective of the streaming giant’s commitment to investing in the region and exploring more great stories and talent, along with providing filmmakers and audiences a global platform to tell and hear different stories outside the mainstream.

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. She says: “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.”

Al Rawabi School for Girls will be produced in collaboration with Filmizion.

Add to Watchlist