The Netflix show that changed views on Arab society
An empowering mini tv series to females in the middle east, Al Rawabi School for Girls is a Netflix show filmed in Amman, Jordan and was co-written by Tima Shomali and Sherine Kamal, as well as directed by Tima Shomali. With most of its cast being female, Al Rawabi School for Girls portrays the life of an outcast that is bullied in high school and her plot to take revenge. Al Rawabi School for Girls is available on Netflix in over 190 countries and 30 languages.
In my case, the tv series was a binge-worthy show that kept me hanging off the edge of my seat anticipating what’s going to happen in the next episode. It was also a rollercoaster where I felt sympathetic for a character and then I would later despise that character due to the drastic character developments in the show, the high school teenage drama allowed me to notice that certain issues do occur in all classes of society in the middle east and specifically the upper class of Jordan as the show sheds light on certain situations that are overlooked in the Arab world including issues like bullying, sexual harassment, honor killings, dysfunctional families, the effects of social media and mental health issues.
With a 7.4 rating on IMDb, Al Rawabi School for Girls has become popular worldwide especially in the Arab region. Controversial opinions have been expressed by the viewers, with some watchers saying that the limited series does not portray the typical life in Jordan and that the show was based greatly on western cultures, perceiving a false image on the Arab society. While other viewers stated that they could relate to the show and that what is portrayed in the show is just a small portion of what happens in everyday life.
In my opinion, Al Rawabi School for Girls positively benefited the Jordanian society as it didn’t only show the outside world that life in Jordan is just like life in any other country in the world, where people go to a regular school in a school bus, negating the stereotype that Arabs go to school on camels. The show also had a positive influence on Jordanian society as it shows the community what actually happens, allowing them to be more open minded about certain topics.