FILM REVIEW: WADJDA

Wadjda (Waad Mohammed) in Wadjda.

Wheels on fire

By Miranda Inganni

Wadjda is the story of a spunky, charming, strong-minded, feisty 10-year-old girl, Wadjda (Waad Mohammed), who dreams of beating her best friend in a bicycle race. In many countries this would be a simple goal, but for the theocratic Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the obstacles she encounters while trying to fulfill this dream are manifold.

To begin with, Wadjda’s best friend, Abdullah (Abdullrahman Algohani), is a boy, and girl's ought naught associate with boys in this misogynistic country. Secondly, Wadjda’s mother (exceptionally acted by Reem Abdullah) refuses to buy the bike for her, as it is extremely frowned upon in Saudi Arabia for women and girls to ride bicycles. But neither of these impediments stops Wadjda. To raise money so she can buy the bike herself, the determined entrepreneur decides to sell contraband -- homemade mixed tapes and soccer-team-colored braided bracelets. Such decadence!

When that scheme fails Wadjda signs up for her school’s Koran-recitation contest. Far more difficult than selling bracelets, Wadjda begins the arduous process of not only memorizing the Koran, but also learning how to recite it properly.

Meanwhile her mother is preoccupied trying to convince her husband, who is Wadjda's father, not to take a second wife.

Wadjda is the first feature-length film by a female director in Saudi Arabia (one of the most oppressive countries in the world). Per Saudi law, writer-director Haifaa Al-Mansour was not allowed to be in public with male crewmembers, which meant extra challenges, such as she often had to film from the back of a van, monitoring remotely. This meant she needed the actors  to rehearse extensively since she could not direct directly. This does pay off as performances she elicits from her actors, especially those of first-timer Mohammed and Abdullah are phenomenal.

Without ever outright criticizing Saudi law or Islam, the film subtly but decisively addresses female suppression, which Wadjda in her “Tween” stage is beginning to experience all around her. Al-Mansour handles this aspect of the story (and her culture) delicately and strategically. All the signs of oppression are there, but as Wadjda is the focus of the movie, she is, for now, content with the dream of beating her friend at a bike race.