Khadija al-Salami

Khadija al-Salami (; born November 11, 1966) is the first Yemeni female film producer and director. At an early age, al-Salami was sent to live with relatives after her mother divorced her father over severe domestic abuse. At age 11, she was forced by her grandmother into an early marriage and was raped by her husband. Some weeks later her husband returned her to her uncle, who immediately disowned her and returned her to her single mother. She escaped the immense family and society pressure by finding employment with the local television station and simultaneously attending school in the mornings which was her only output for happiness. She was inspired to create this film from her own experiences with arranged marriage as well as the experience of a young girl by the name of Najmia who was 13 years old at the time. I Am Nojoom, Age 10 and Divorced, became the first Yemeni film to be submitted for consideration for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards.

She has also co-authored with her current husband, the American Charles Hoots, an autobiography, The Tears of Sheba.

Al-Salami currently serves as Press and Cultural attaché and Director of the Yemeni Information Centre at the Embassy of Yemen in Paris.

Works

Awards and nominations