How AlRawabi School for Girls Sheds Light On Unspoken Social Matters
Filmed in Jordan, the trending Netflix series follows the life of a group of high school girls as they deal with issues relating to bullying, friendships and much more
Netflix’s latest Arabic original series, AlRawabi School for Girls, sheds light on crucial social and cultural topics that are uncommonly portrayed in many Arabic shows; soon after its release, the series quickly fell under Netflix’s top trending shows.
Filmed in Jordan, AlRawabi School for Girls was created by the multi-talented female-duo, Tima Shomali and Shirin Kamal. The show is a drama series that consists of six episodes. It centers around a group of high school girls living in Jordan’s capital city of Amman who plan to get back at their school’s bullies.
For the most part, the girls lead typical high school lives as they try to navigate their teen years, schoolwork, and friendships. However, when one of the girls, Mariam, who is played by actress Andria Tayeh, is attacked by a group of other girls, aka the bullies, she and her friends begin to create a revenge plan.
While the series includes an engaging and thrilling plot filled with drama and incredible acting by the characters, it also digs deeper to provide crucial representation and commentary on issues commonly experienced among many young girls today. Some of these issues include bullying, relationships, friendships, social norms, and mental health that are widely present in many local and international schools, yet not commonly discussed or represented in many Arabic series.
“As a teenager, I felt the lack of shows that talked about young girls at that age. There wasn’t something that I could relate to that also entertained me,” Tima says about the series. “We wanted to shed light on the challenges that young women face in high school.”
Hayat Abu Samra, one of the supporting actresses in AlRawabi School for Girls, reveals her appreciation for the show’s storyline.
“I think the storyline is important because it simply rings true for so many people and every storyline in the series is a story that exists in real life, whether that’s in Jordan or any other place,” she says.
[node:media_embed_3]
“What I appreciate the most about the show as well is that it is a story about women written by women. I hope to see more Arabic shows that represent authentic stories and characters that are complicated and nuanced,” Hayat adds.
Jordanian psychologist and play therapist, Samira H., expresses the importance of representing issues such as bullying in television shows.
“I love how the show depicts the significant impact of bullying on the mental health of young girls. I hope stories like the one portrayed in the series encourages parents and schools to be more sympathetic with those who are bullied so that they don’t feel so alone,” she says.
Although Netflix only recently released the Arabic show, it quickly earned high admiration from viewers across the globe, with many praising the show for its discussion on these important issues.
There were some viewers who did not approve of the show, claiming that it does not reflect the Jordanian community accurately, but I would have to disagree as these issues are universal and present in every society across the globe.
Netflix released the show’s first season as a six-part limited series, streaming it in 190 countries around the world in over 32 languages. The show has not been renewed for a second season, although I wouldn’t be surprised if Netflix has plans for the girls of AlRawabi School in the works…
Lead image courtesy Instagram/@alrawabi.sfg