The two Saudi directors carried Haifa Al Mansour and Amin saw a message to the Venice Film Festival along with their two films. Women should be seen and heard.
Haifa Al-Mansour's "Perfect Candidate" is one of 21 films competing for the Golden Lion Award at the festival's official competition, and tells the story of a doctor who is challenged by her gender when she decides to run for mayor. It is one of two films presented by female directors to compete this year.
The film "Scraps" by Shahid Amin, which was screened outside the official competition, is about a girl who escapes the clutches of her superstitious villagers, who believe that a curse has befallen her.
The filmmakers hope their films will deliver a message about women's empowerment in Saudi Arabia.
"Presenting a heroine is indirect empowerment for women," said Haifa al-Mansour.
"The most important character to gain in this film is the girl. She is not a sub-character, she is the main character. You find yourself investing (time and effort) in pursuing her journey, falling in love and encouraging her; this is very important for a conservative audience to see."
The beginning of Haifa's film reflects the changes taking place in the Kingdom. Asked about the message she wanted to deliver to Saudi women from the film, she said, "It's time for them to take risks, not to be afraid of failure or to be judged."
In the film "Harashif," the girl's father saves his daughter's life from a village tradition that families give their daughters an offering to sea creatures, making her a pariah.
"This was my story and my experience - about people treating me in the country where I lived - in a very separate society, men clearly prefer women," said director Shahad Amin.