June 20, 2018

Why Saudi Actor Aiysha Hart is One to Watch

Aiysha Hart. Shot by Philipn Sinden for Vogue Arabia, June 2018

Aiysha Hart. Shot by Philip Sinden for Vogue Arabia, June 2018

The British-Saudi talent is on a meteoric path to stardom, breaking out of the mold along the way.

Remember the name Aiysha Hart because come September 2018, it will be the one on everybody’s lips. In that month alone, she will appear in the anticipated movie version of Colette, alongside Keira Knightley, as well as star as a 2,000-year-old vampire in the screen adaptation of fantasy trilogy A Discovery of Witches.

Originally printed in the June 2018 issue of Vogue Arabia.

You probably already recognize Hart – her eyebrows that rival Cara Delevingne’s are hard to forget – since her talent and striking looks from her British mother and Saudi father have allowed her to take on varied roles culminating in an eclectic CV. She made her film debut in the 2013 horror movie Djinn, which was shot in Dubai. Her first leading role was portraying Mona, a young woman targeted by her family for an honor killing, in the movie Honour (2014), alongside Paddy Considine. “That film will always hold a special place in my heart,” she says. “The subject matter meant so much to me; it felt like we were finally telling the stories of so many girls who didn’t have the chance to tell their own.”

Hart is down to earth, funny, beautiful, and also smart. She hasn’t picked roles to fast-track her career. Instead, she has played the long game, choosing projects that have a worthy story to tell – which brings us to her forthcoming role in Colette. “I play a historical character called Polaire – a French-Algerian singer and actor who was famous for her 40cm waist, snake-like hips, and eccentric style,” she explains. “Polaire wins the title role of Claudine in the play Claudine à Paris, based on a novel by the French writer Colette, played by Keira Knightley.”

Also Read: Meet the Women Campaigning to Create a Women’s Football Team in Saudi Arabia

The film comes at an important time, amid the background of the #MeToo movement. “Ultimately, it’s a coming-of-age story about a woman taking ownership of her career,” she says. “The theme of female authorship is at the core of the movie’s narrative, and its celebration of women’s agency certainly won’t be lost on a modern, ‘woke’ audience.”

She is passionate about equality in the entertainment industry and is also a champion for women’s rights in the Middle East. “It’s often forgotten that throughout Islamic history there has been a long tradition of female freedom to pursue scholarship and civic participation,” states the actor, who also speaks Arabic. “I hope the developments we see in Saudi Arabia over the next few years will honor this heritage. The lift of the driving ban will be instrumental in women’s freedom of movement and a continuing advance towards equal opportunities.”

Her mother worked hard to assimilate into Arab culture while the family lived in Saudi Arabia. “It’s only with hindsight that I can really appreciate how difficult it would’ve been to understand and integrate into such a completely different culture and religion, and she did it so amazingly well,” Hart says. She identifies as both English and Arab. “My approach to life, my opinions, and my beliefs have a unique duality born out of a cross-cultural upbringing,” she says. “We had cultural aspects of the Middle East mixed in with Western sensibilities. My mother wasn’t bothered by having to wear the abaya but found not being able to drive very difficult. It was a real obstacle to the functioning of daily life. When I was younger I struggled with certain rules, but as I got older I grew to respect that unity of two diverse perspectives. It’s made me more well-rounded.”

Now Read: Kingdom Come: Meet Six Saudi Arabian Designers Changing The Face of Fashion

Photography: Philip Sinden

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