Jessica Alba hit the Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival on Friday delivering a message of empowerment in an on-stage conversation as the country continues to build its local film and TV industry.
The Trigger Warning star talked about her push into production under the banner of her Lady Meadowmark and new label Lady Spitfire.
“I spent 12 years on my business The Honest Company, took it public, brought in a new CEO, got it settled and thought right, ‘I can go back into the thing that is my passion’ and that’s storytelling. I think there is no more powerful medium to open people’s minds, to open people’s hearts,” she said.
Alba explained how her love of storytelling grew out of being “a sickly child” who spent periods of time in hospital.
“I remember watching movies and TV shows and fantasizing that I could be a superhero because there are no boundaries on what’s possible in storytelling and filmmaking,” she said.
Her aim for new production banners, she explained, was to show diverse stories that she did not see being told as a child and young adult.
“I didn’t see a tonne of diversity in storytelling,” she said. “I don’t blame Hollywood… we have a lot of white guys in charge, and they feel most comfortable telling stories through their lens… As a woman of color, they don’t know people like me and frankly a lot of them didn’t have women who were strong, making the money and in leadership roles. In corporate America, you don’t have a tonne of female leadership… If you don’t see that it’s very difficult to imagine that that is a story to be told.”
“But as a woman of color, I don’t see those boundaries that they see,” she continued. “The stories I’m drawn to are going to naturally defy what’s even possible for them… I would say it’s a huge white space. I also love business and looking at things in a very logical way and the white space opportunity is women. We’re 50 percent of the population and we control 70 percent of the household income. We need more entertainment that speaks to us… to our hearts… our souls… our sons… our brothers… just because the woman is the lead… it doesn’t mean it’s not for men, it’s for everyone.”
She suggested that she also wanted to shift the dial around storytelling that stereotyped Latino people.
“Our stories are still very much defined by bias of what we are and who we are… and there are stigmas and stereotypes around Latinos and they love to tells stories around cartels, drugs and domestic murders… we a lot more than that.”
Talking about her presence in Saudi Arabia for the second time, Alba revealed that she was plotting a feature with local cinema pioneer Haifaa Al Mansour, whose thriller Unidentified is playing in the festival this year.
“I’ve been talking to her for a few years about working together on a tender story. Another actor who is going to be here later on in the festival. He’s also attached to this movie,” she said.
“We’re hoping to bring it to life. It will be a tender story about an ageing parent and a daughter. I love these tender storie
Alba also alluded to her upcoming appearance in Dakota Johnson’s directorial debut A Tree Is Blue.
“It’s written and starring a girl who is autistic. It’s about a mom and a daughter, and this girl who wants her independence. It’s a beautiful tender story, hopefully we can bring it here next year if it’s finished. These are the types of things that… as an actor, a producer… I want to support.”