Director: Haifaa Al Mansour
Cast: Reem Abdullah, Waad Mohammed, Abdullrahman Al Gohani
Running time: 97 mins
Plot: In the Saudi Arabian capital (Riyadh), a young girl, Wadjda (Mohammed), struggles against the nation’s strong traditions and culture in a bid to live life her own way.
Firstly, it is difficult to comprehend how this quaint film was ever made, as cinemas have been banned in Saudi Arabia since the eighties. Furthermore, women are not allowed to drive (except in some rural areas), and they are discouraged from using public transport. So, for a female filmmaker to have successfully realised WADJDA – a subversive look at the nation’s traditions – is an achievement in of itself.
Al Mansour excels in showing the many shades of Wadjda’s personality, as well as telling two tonally different, but equally important, stories. Wadjda’s confused mind trapped and oppressed by bureaucracy brings out the rebel in her, which is perhaps most prominent as she deals with the authority figures at school, but in a relaxed environment, her creative and humorous side shines through. These extremes are mirrored and juxtaposed within the storytelling, as the overarching narrative touches on many contentious political and societal issues, but Wadjda’s main story, in its simplest form, sees her saving up to buy a shiny green bike, so she can beat her friend in a race.
If their are any negatives to be taken from WADJDA, it would have to be the idealistic final third of the film. The realism conveyed throughout renders it a little difficult to swallow, as you can’t help but feel it is the best case scenario, which is often not applicable for many girls in Saudi Arabia. However, Al Mansour has achieved a lot in her life, such as becoming Saudi Arabia’s first female filmmaker, which shows that if you refuse to back down almost anything is possible.
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