WHEN Haifaa al-Mansour graduated from the American university in Cairo and returned home to Saudi Arabia to work, she was struck by how invisible she felt as a young woman. She turned to film-making as a kind of therapy. “It gave me a voice,” she says. Almost two decades later, Ms al-Mansour has become the first Saudi Arabian woman to direct a feature film. “Wadjda” is the first film to be shot entirely in Saudi Arabia, a country where cinemas are banned. Rules are slackening, though—select films are now shown on television and the government arranges very occasional public screenings. Ms al-Mansour’s film, which hinges on a rebellious 11-year-old girl’s desire to buy a bike (taboo for girls in the kingdom), will not be on general release at home. But it is being screened internationally and has won numerous awards abroad, including three at last year’s Venice Film Festival.

Ms al-Mansour now lives in Bahrain with her American husband and their two children. She spoke to The Economist about directing from behind the veil, treating conservatism with respect and her own love of Hollywood.

What was it like filming in Saudi Arabia?

It was stressful! Saudi can be very conservative and men and women are not supposed to mix. So whenever we went outside I had to be inside a van talking on a walkie-talkie to the cast and crew outside. Sometimes we weren’t able to film at all because locals would get upset, even though we had the proper permissions (the film has the backing of Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a member of the Saudi royal family, and his film-production company Rotana).

Why did this story interest you?

I wanted to explore the tensions between tradition and modernity. Things in Saudi are changing and I wanted to be a part of that change. But it was always important to me to make a film that was respectful of local, conservative culture, rather than totally clashing with it. And although the bicycle is an emblem for change, it’s also just a toy so I hoped that would keep the film light-hearted.

Was it difficult to persuade the parents of Waad Mohammed (the young girl who plays Wadjda) to let her be in a film about empowering women?

Waad comes from quite a traditional family. But she really embodied the part. She even arrived at the audition wearing the same trainers we had in the script and listening to Justin Bieber. So I think her parents could see that it felt right and that I was being respectful of religion and tradition.

Have people’s reactions changed now that the film has been so successful? At first there was some anger, but now the response is generally one of pride. People see it as a local success. And Waad loves it—she does lots of TV interviews and people are very fond of her, I think. Was your own childhood similar to Wadjda’s? I’m one of 12 kids and our parents were quite liberal. Some people were warned about being friends with us—it’s so easy to become an outsider in Saudi. But my father never made me feel I couldn’t do something as a girl. I even had my own bike, although I rode it on our patio. He used to rent films, so we watched a lot of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee. Cinderella too. I grew up on those movies. Wadjda is based more on my niece though. She’s always scheming, but charming too.

The mother in the film is very interesting, veering between her love for her enterprising daughter and her respect for tradition.

Yes, there’s a lot of my sister-in-law in that character—someone who sings in private but on the outside is quite conservative. But that’s quite typical of Saudi women. They try hard to do what is expected of them but they also just want to be themselves.

The film has an uplifting ending about people’s capacity for change. But it was originally going to end less positively—why did you alter it?

I wanted to tell a good story. I didn’t want to jeopardise the film just because the Arab in me wants to send a particular message really loudly.

Which message?

Oh, that women are forced to be a certain way. It’s a very tough place for women to grow up. But I wanted to control that message. I think a lot of Middle Eastern films about women feel they have to be horrific, someone has to get stoned or something. But I grew up watching Hollywood. There was so much power watching those films, seeing people fall in love, lead exciting lives. Happy stories gave me so much as a child.

What’s next?

I’d like to do something about Saudi again but I’m not sure it needs to be about women. There’s so much else to say about the country. I left in 2007 and when I went back to film "Wadjda" I noticed how much has changed. People are a lot more tolerant. The internet has opened young people up to the world.

Would you go back to Saudi now, to work and bring up your children there?

It would be frustrating for me now, I think. I wouldn’t be allowed to drive. It would be difficult to work. And I have a daughter, so... I’m not sure. But then again, it’s also a compromise for me to be away. For me it’s still my home country, where I grew up, where my family is. I miss it.

“Wadjda” is in British cinemas now and will be released in Germany on September 5th 2013