For a film that's as simple and sweet as a child's kiss, Wadjda is revolutionary.
It's believed to be the first movie shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and the first film made in the country by a woman. That's quite a feat in a nation where movie cinemas are banned and sexual segregation is the norm. That Wadjda has survived such obstacles to become a film festival favourite and the country's first submission for Oscar consideration is a testament to director Haifaa Al-Mansour's determination.
But all of that wouldn't mean as much if Wadjda (pronounced Waj-da) weren't very good. The film is deserving of its position as a pioneer. It's a heartfelt, touching peek into the day-to-day life of a culture Westerners rarely get to see.
Wadjda (a captivating Waad Mohammed) is a young girl living in Riyadh, who already feels smothered by her country's religious traditionalism. Much to the consternation of her teacher, she wears sneakers under her robe and, much to her mother's dismay, she blares Western pop music like Tongue Tied by Grouplove on her radio.
Worst of all, more than anything, she wants to buy a bike so she can beat a neighbourhood boy, Abdullah (Abdullrahman Al Gohani), in a race. Such a goal is not allowed for girls, though the government recently liberalised these prohibitions. All of this makes her even more determined, to the point of entering a contest measuring one's knowledge of the Koran just for the cash prize.
Wadjda's plotting to get her bike is set against the backdrop of the quiet desperation of her home life, where her mother (Reem Abdullah) agonises over whether Wadjda's father (Sultan Al Assaf), who really wants a son, is dissatisfied enough to take a second wife. Meanwhile, at school, strict principal Ms Hussa (Ahd) is determined to set Wadjda on a less secular path.
Yet there's a good-natured sensibility about Al-Mansour's style that doesn't paint Saudi men as ogres, and it offers hope for the future in Abdullah, who wants Wadjda to get her bike nearly as much as she does.
If Wadjda is any guide, it all bodes well not only for the future of a nascent Saudi Arabian film industry but for women navigating their way through Saudi society.
* Wadjda is released in Australian cinemas on March 20
