
WADJDA is a 10-year-old girl living in a suburb of Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Although she lives in a conservative world, Wadjda is fun loving, entrepreneurial and always pushing the boundaries of what she can get away with. After a fight with her friend Abdullah, a neighborhood boy she shouldn't be playing with, Wadjda sees a beautiful green bicycle for sale. She wants the bicycle desperately so that she can beat Abdullah in a race. But Wadjda's mother won't allow ... (Full plot summary below)
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WADJDA is a 10-year-old girl living in a suburb of Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Although she lives in a conservative world, Wadjda is fun loving, entrepreneurial and always pushing the boundaries of what she can get away with. After a fight with her friend Abdullah, a neighborhood boy she shouldn't be playing with, Wadjda sees a beautiful green bicycle for sale. She wants the bicycle desperately so that she can beat Abdullah in a race. But Wadjda's mother won't allow it, fearing repercussions from a society that sees bicycles as dangerous to a girl's virtue. So Wadjda decides to try and raise the money herself. At first, Wadjda's mother is too preoccupied with convincing her husband not to take a second wife to realize what's going on. And soon enough Wadjda's plans are thwarted when she is caught running various schemes at school. Just as she is losing hope of raising enough money, she hears of a cash prize for a Quran recitation competition at her school. She devotes herself to the memorization and recitation of Quranic verses, and her teachers begin to see Wadjda as a model pious girl. The competition isn't going to be easy, especially for a troublemaker like Wadjda, but she refuses to give in. She is determined to continue fighting for her dreams.
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| Little White LiesRebecca EllisThe film never struggles under the strain of its weighty subject matter, delivering an enjoyable and heartfelt tale which combines elements of exhilarating comedy and tense drama that never detract from its bravely articulated subtext. |
| ViewLondonMatthew TurnerBrilliantly directed and superbly written, this is a warmly emotional and gently provocative coming-of-age drama with a terrific central performance from young first-timer Waad Mohammed. |
| Flick FilosopherMaryAnn Johanson[A] delightful and powerfully satisfying film in all ways, an arthouse crowd-pleaser about a charmingly irrepressible protagonist... |
| Birmingham Mail Graham YoungThe moment Wadjda's heart leaps when she spots a bicycle on the roof of a moving car that's hidden by a wall is the scene of the year. |
| Common Sense MediaSandie Angulo ChenBeautiful, nuanced tale of an independent Saudi girl. |
| Washington TimesKelly Jane TorranceThe film is filled with finely composed shots that show both the beauty and the ugliness of Saudi Arabia, inside and out. |
| Chicago Sun-TimesBruce IngramAl-Mansour has managed to embue Wadjda with a hopeful spirit, partially because she takes time to show women finding ways to be themselves in private moments. And partially because she suggests with a few subtle touches that the situation might be slowly improving. |
| ReelTalk Movie ReviewsDonald J. LevitFree from ranting or raving, this quiet celebration of joy of the spirit is one first step towards righting centuries of repressive wrong. |
| Boston GlobePeter KeoughThe world of cinema is richer for the voice of Al Mansour; she speaks for the women of her country, and for people everywhere. |
| Denver PostLisa KennedyIn Saudi filmmaker Haifaa al-Mansour's winsome wonder Wadjda, a young girl's aspirations provide an intimate glimpse into the possibilities and limitations of a cloaked culture. |