Wadjda

Story

Wadjda, a spirited 10-year-old girl dreams of owning and riding a bicycle. But she lives in Saudi Arabia where girls are not supposed to ride bikes, and her mother refuses to buy one for her. Wadjda embarks on a series of money-making schemes, invariably ending up in trouble with her strict head teacher.

Why we chose it

Wadjda is a warm-hearted and funny 98-minute film that also makes serious points about women’s lack of freedom in Saudi Arabia. It was the first feature film shot entirely in the country and the first feature film made by a female Saudi director. Haifaa al-Mansour had to hide in a van and direct her crew via walkie-talkie as women cannot be seen giving orders to men. The film received many international awards but al-Mansour also received death threats and hate mail in her country.

Where it came from

Al-Mansour grew up in Saudi Arabia watching films on video as there were no film theatres at that time. She studied literature in Egypt and film in Australia before making various short films and documentaries in other countries. She wrote Wadjda based on one of her nieces as well as her own experiences growing up. It focuses on freedom (as represented by the bicycle) and women’s fear of abandonment (as Wadjda’s father decides to take a second wife who can give him a son). Al-Mansour took 5 years getting financial backing and permissions to film in Riyadh.

Associated stories

Al-Mansour wrote and directed The Perfect Candidate (2018, PG) about a Saudi woman doctor who stands for election. In 2020 Netflix announced she will be directing The Selection based on a series of young adult novels by Kiera Cass.