‘Wadjda’: Saudi Arabia’s First Feature Film and Female Filmmaker
“Wadjda.”
A young girl falls in love with an expensive green bicycle.
She dreams of buying that bike and racing the neighborhood boy.
Except that little girl named Wadjda is the character is a new film with the same title, which takes place in Saudi Arabia and girls in Saudi Arabia are not supposed to ride bicycles, not to mention mix with men outside of their immediate family.
Wadjda is the first feature length film to be shot in Saudi Arabia.
And the director, Haifaa Al Mansour is the first Saudi woman ever to direct a feature film in her restrictive homeland.
Wadjda has been making the rounds at film festivals around the globe and recently it was selected by Saudi Arabia as their entry for the foreign film category of the Academy Awards.
The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!