Afghan filmmaker Roya Sadat granted entry to Saudi's Red Sea
What's the story
Afghan director Roya Sadat has now been cleared to attend the Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia.
Sadat was initially denied entry despite holding a valid Saudi visa. She was stopped at Dallas Airport on December 4, preventing her from boarding her flight to Jeddah.
The airline cited Saudi Arabia doesn't recognize extended Afghan passports issued by embassies abroad, leaving Sadat shocked as many Afghans use these passports for travel to Mecca.
Passport controversy
Sadat questioned visa denial, considered festival withdrawal
Publicly questioning the denial of her entry, Sadat asked why visas were issued if such passports weren't accepted.
She was frustrated over the refusal to honor her visa and the perceived hypocrisy.
Notably, she highlighted that Taliban officials with similar passports face no restrictions.
The filmmaker even considered withdrawing her film Sima's Song from the festival in protest but refrained out of respect for her team already in Jeddah.
Festival participation
Sadat's film 'Sima's Song' competes at Red Sea Festival
Sima's Song, directed by Sadat, is in the running at the Red Sea Film Festival.
The film, which follows two women during Afghanistan's socialist transition and Soviet invasion, premiered at the Tokyo Film Festival last month.
Sadat is a trailblazer in Afghan cinema, having written her first screenplay during the first Taliban regime when screening movies could lead to public lashings.