To promote the album of Mashrou' Leila (an independent Lebanese band), we identified an unreleased song, composed 3 years back, about "betrayal"; a song that wasn’t part of their album.

Taking the lyrics of that song, called “Roman”, we gave it a dual meaning - to address the global socio-political trends against Arab feminism.

No one would've imagined a music video showing Arab women, in traditional and religious garbs, dancing. But, Mashrou’ Leila made one happen, creating a conversation driver.

The video purposefully attempts to revert the position of the (male) musicians as the heroes of the narrative, not only by subjecting them to the (female) gaze of the director, but also by representing them as individuals who (literally) take the backseat as the Arab female coalition moves forward.

So, while the lyrics discuss betrayal, struggle, and conflict, the video revolves around the lyrical pivot in the chorus: ‘aleihum (charge!).

We styled the women in the video to be dressed in figure-hiding Middle Eastern clothing and wearing an assortment of veils, ranging from headscarves to face-covering “niqab”. And put them in a barren deserted landscape.

Their ethnic backgrounds were consciously over-articulated, through choices of styling and location, in a manner more typically employed by Western media to represent victimhood and oppression.

But then, revolving around the lyrical pivot - “aleihum” (charge!) – we show the women dancing - an expression of freedom, amidst desolation.

Their cultural/religious garbs, often coloured, disturb the pale landscape.

The women’s resolute dignity radiates, as the primary dancer’s energetic, irregular and fierce movements, choreographed amidst the still landscape, cut through the quietude.

While the all-male band members are present, it is NEVER about them. They take a back seat (quite literally), as the narrative focuses on the women banding together to form a coalition.

The western media’s narrative of feminism and women empowerment, does position itself as incompatible with Islam and the Arab world. And with Islamophobia rising in the Western world, Western media does not fairly showcase the progress by women in the Middle East; instead, exploiting the cultural and religious prejudices that people and governments are using to victimize Arab women.

So, when Mashrou’ Leila wanted to promote their new album, we picked up an unreleased song, tweaked its lyrics to take on the prejudice in Western media, added that song to the album and then released a provocative music video. Earlier, no one would've imagined a music video showing Arab women, in their traditional and religious garbs, dancing. But, Mashrou’ Leila made one happen, creating the ultimate conversation driver.

The thrust of the track is one word from the song’s refrain: ‘Aleihum — “Charge!” The film idea came up from there – A cry for liberation.

The Middle East has been a ‘hip’ backdrop for many Western music videos and films. But, rarely for Arabic ones. The unique spirit of the film emerges from the gut of the Middle East through the work of the music, the narrative, and the people behind it.

This is not a ‘white’ feminist film. The direction didn’t at all seek to portray Middle Eastern women as victims like Western media does. This is not a male vs. female film. This film is an ode to the grace and strength of Arab women and their continuous fight for feminist action, featuring one hundred women.