Wadjda

2012 | Drama | 98 minutes | Arabic with English titles

Info

This is a funny, romantic drama about Wadjda, a spirited 10 year-old Saudi girl living in the capital city of Riyadh. Her dream is to buy bicycle so she can race against her neighborhood friend Abdullah. Her mother opposes the idea as young girls riding bikes is against Saudi culture. Wadjda is determined but she must raise the money to make the purchase. She starts by selling mixtapes and hand-braiding bracelets to sell to classmates. At school, Wadjda decides to participate in a Koran recital competition. Her memorization of passages from the Koran impresses her teacher and she wins. Wadjda shocks the school staff and fellow students when she announces she will use the prize money to buy a bicycle. The headmistress immediately informs Wadjda the money will be used to support the Palestinian refugees. When Wadjda returns home she is devastated to hear her father is leaving the family to marry a second wife. Wadjda tries to console her mother suggesting that if she buys a beautiful red dress it may convince her father to return. Instead, her mother tells Wadjda that she used the money to buy the bicycle. An elated Wadjda takes her bike to race against Abdullah. She wins!

Cast

Waad Mohammed (Wadjda) / Abdullrahman Al Gohani (Abdullah) / Nouf Saad (Koran Teacher)

Why Stream This Film?

There are significant attributes with Wadjda. It’s the first film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and the first feature film made by a Saudi director, Haifaa Al Mansour. All this would mean very little if the film was a bomb. Fortunately, Wadjda is a terrific film.

Rotten Tomatoes Score (Critics Consensus): 99%
Metacritic Score: 81

Accolades

Boston Society of Film Critics Awards: Winner, Best Foreign Language Film
Los Angeles Film Festival: Winner, Best International Feature Film
Venice Film Festival: Winner, Best Film
Palm Springs International Film Festival: Winner, Best Director (Haifaa Al-Mansour)