Biography
Fatima AlBanawi is a Saudi Arabian creative writer, actress, performance artist, and theatre director. As a multi-talented artist dedicated to bridging social impact and the arts, she founded The Other Story Project, a catalyst for public space engagement in Jeddah since 2015. The project has gathered nearly 5,000 real-life stories from strangers, many of which have been transformed into productions such as the short film "A Blink of an Eye." AlBanawi performs human stories both locally and internationally, from the world’s first touring Biennale in Buenos Aires to Palais de Tokyo in Paris. Despite the challenges of working within a private society, she believes storytelling fosters vulnerable, intimate conversations. Time Magazine recognized her as a Next Generation Leader, and following the acclaim of her performance “Amours Saoudiennes,” officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris dubbed her the "Sophie Calle of Saudi Arabia."
AlBanawi holds a master’s degree in Theological Studies from Harvard University, focusing her academic work on Gender and Identity in the Muslim diaspora and the contemporary Middle East. Her research highlights the sociology of film, literature, and representation issues. She channels her passion for ethnography and creativity into her forthcoming book, The Other Story, a personal memoir and social commentary based on stories collected over the years. Her commitment to psycho-social development and the arts began in 2010 when she co-founded the Theatre of the Oppressed chapter in Jeddah, later staging one of its plays at Harvard. Her recent theatre work as director and actress in "The Straight Circle" has gained attention for breaking traditional elite formats by bringing theatre to the city’s streets.
As an actress, AlBanawi gained international recognition in 2016 with her debut in the award-winning Saudi film Barakah Meets Barakah. She continues acting as an intuitive response to her passion, aiming to reshape public narratives about human relationships. Her credits include the series "Bashar," the short film "A Blink of an Eye," the feature "Roll’em," and the short "Goin South." She also runs Alf Wad, her acting studio, which serves as a hub for nurturing actors and the film community in Saudi Arabia. Her training includes the Undesirable Elements Theatre Method with Ping Chong & Company, improv training at San Francisco’s Improv Playhouse and with Lebanese director Lucien Bourjeily, as well as acting techniques from Luke Lehner Studios and Gerald James, a member of the Actor's Studio in Los Angeles.
AlBanawi's diverse creative work in acting and storytelling has been featured widely in media outlets such as the Financial Times, The Reporter, Variety, France 24, and broadcasts spanning American, Italian, Egyptian, and Saudi channels.
