Wadjda

Films that make social, religious, political or gender based points are seldom good films. Wadjda breaks that mould - spectacularly, scoring big hits in every category. It is also a very good film that tells a simple story very effectively with two young Saudi's in the lead roles. The film doesn't preach - it gently subverts, asks questions and undermines the status quo in one of the world's most ruthless autocracies. It offers a different way of being - not the threat of revolution but an alternative to the existing model. Whenever we view a culture that is so different from our own we must be careful as we don't necessarily understand all that is going on. The reference points will be different, the social givens will be difficult to understand and it is always too easy to jump to wrong conclusions. However, this film contains a sufficient number of universal ideas and metaphors that much can still be gleaned. At the end of the day, our common humanity is a greater force for togetherness than our different belief systems are a force for conflict and separation.

Shot entirely in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia the film is a 'coming of age story' that charts part of that journey through the eyes of the title character - a 10 year old girl. She lives with her mother with occasional visits from her father who is climbing the political ladder and desperate for the male heir his wife cannot (medically) provide. The daily routine of life in the Madrasa, the strict dress and behaviour codes of sharia law and the overbearing patriarchy that predominates set Wadjda on a collision course with school, society and family.

Her mother desperately wants to break free but is afraid. Wadjda has no fear - only a sense of wanting to be free to be herself - a normal aspiration for a 10 year old pushing the boundaries and making meaning of the world around them. She has no interest in Islam and therefore cannot see the point of the strict codes that de-individualise her. She enjoys playing with Abdullah - a boy of the same age. They have a love/hate relationship so typical of that age group that always heals itself and comes back to love (filial). For Wadjda, Abdullah expresses his male dominance through cycling everywhere - an activity forbidden to women as it would compromise both their virtue and virginity. She is competitive and wants a bike of her own so that she can race him - and win! I won't spoil the story line any further except to say that her quest for the bicycle and the means she employs in pursuit of it becomes a metaphor for the wider questions the films asks.

It is amazing to think that the authorities sanctioned the production of this film that could have been shot in a more welcoming Arab location, only to ban it from being screened in Saudi. Those nice people at MovieMail have put together a great graphic:

As it says this is a liberating film - filled with laughter, fun and hope. It can only be a question of time before successive generations erode the conservatism sufficiently to allow those who wish, to express their personal and national identity in a different way. Hopefully there will be room for those who wish to continue practicing a more conservative form Islam to continue to do so - but alongside those who choose a different style or pathway.

This is a heart-warming film with great acting and a powerful story to tell. It is also a story that asks many questions and points a possible way to the eventual evolution of Saudi society. If you enjoy a good story, well told and filmed with compelling acting which is set in a culture which is very different to most others then do get hold of this and watch. I'll give it 8/10