Originally hailing from Russia, Olga Sapozhnikova served as a Russian diplomat in Japan. After a six year stint with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Russia, she developed an interest in filmmaking. Her first film "Harem"was about famous UAE women and has been telecast on Russian television, and "Hidden Beauty"has recently screened on Kazakhstan television. Sapozhnikova is intrigued by the roles of both men and women in contemporary Arab culture. "It is a privilege to be a woman in a society where the man assumes the responsibility of protecting the woman. So no matter how successful she becomes, she still knows she can fall back on someone." of protecting the woman. So no matter how successful she becomes, she still knows she can fall back on someone."