Wadjda

It is quite hard to come to Wadjda with a clear head and I suspect with the awards season coming up, it will be harder to do so in the future, which is why I wanted to watch it now. Part of the reason for this is that the film has had quite a bit of publicity due to its place in history, it being the first film in Saudi Arabia directed by a woman and this made me think that perhaps critics would have been quick to be generous to it. For sure I think this is a factor and the context of it representing (in theory) a country moving towards ever so slightly less hard-line conservatism may also be a factor in awards voting; but my concern was that this mean weaknesses were forgiven and stronger aspects were hyped up. The second thing in my mind was that perhaps Wadja would be very critical of Saudi as it may be seen as "time to settle some scores" and that this would be less a film and more a finger wagging exercise.

The reality is that neither of these are really the case and indeed the main strength of Wadjda is that it is simply a coming-of-age story which is set in Saudi Arabia. This means that the film doesn't push an agenda in a very heavy handed and frequent way, but rather just uses the culture of its setting as part of its story, just like any other such film would do in the context of their country. I liked this a lot because very quickly I was able to settle in and just enjoy the film for its character and story. And it helps that the story is engaging, warm and quite cheering in some ways; Wadjda is a sweet heart to the film and is very well played indeed by Waad Mohammed and she plays very well with her simple goal of just wanting to be herself and not be restricted by others – again a theme that maybe has more significant in her context, but still one common to these types of films. The film plays his out well with other threads and challenges to others around her which resonate with the impact of restrictions but again not in a heavy-handed or really obvious way.

It is a fine line to walk but the film does manage to flag issues for discussion but not to do so in a way that is overly critical or unrealistic even if it is progressive; perhaps to use the right language it is a very subdued and modest criticism and it is never front and centre on the screen. The balance means that it will engage you with the simple structure of its story while also making its points with things shown to inform and characters within the story used to illustrate different aspects of choices to be made – whether it be Wadjda's refusal to be restrained or Ms Hussa's overcompensation for not doing the same herself. It is very well shot and directed – and not "considering the circumstances", but rather it just is. The use of locations is really good, giving the film a strong sense of play and I do hope someday there is a "making of" documentary as I think the daily reality of making this must itself be an interesting story.

Wadjda is a very good film even if I think a lot of the hype and gushing that will come during the awards season is as much about the context as it is about the film itself – although this is not a bad thing by any means. The makers walk a fine line really well – not making direct criticisms so much as telling an engaging and warm story out of which comes the obvious criticisms and discussions which could be had. It does this very well and deserves to be seen as a film as well as a statement.

We went to see this as a family, with our two daughters, 14 and 16. We all enjoyed it. Seeing how the limitations placed on women in Saudi Arabia play out in everyday life was of great interest to all of us. The story line depicted not only Wadjda's efforts to break free from her circumscribed world, but also how adult women struggle to survive. The effort to simply support oneself without a man when one can't even drive or wear clothes that allow for mobility reflects how rules ostensibly meant to "protect" women keep them dependent on men for the most rudimentary basics.

I suspect that even this film does not depict the lives of women in Saudi Arabia completely accurately. Some concessions seem to have been made to the government. No religious police are to be seen, for example. Nonetheless, it is well worth seeing, and we applaud Haifaa al-Mansour for making it. We look forward to her future work.

The total lack of films that come out of Saudi Arabia made Wadjda, a Saudi film by Haiffa Al- Mansour, instantly alluring. Haiffa Al-Mansour is already accredited as being the first successful woman filmmaker in Saudi Arabia's history.

This is very much Al- Mansour's film. She charms the viewer with the common everyday struggles of the Saudi woman, and rather than address the issues in a combative way, her approach is warm, even cute. This draws us in to her characters and provides us with some heartfelt laughs along the way.

The precocious 10-year Wadjda is growing up in Riyadh where she wants nothing more than a shiny new bicycle, but not only is she a little short on riyals, in Saudi Arabia women do not to ride bicycles. Saudi moral code bans woman from driving, going out in public unveiled, living unaccompanied, leaving the country alone, and opposing their husbands' orders in any way.

Small details make grand impressions: In an all girls school teenage students paint their toenails, a sin, and are publicly vilified for it. The mere possibly that workmen half a mile away might see school girls playing in their courtyard forces all the girls to rush inside, lest they be judged impure. Pubescent girls are considered impure and must use a tissue just flip the pages of Koran.

Wadjad's truly beautiful mother spends much of her time perfecting her appearance only then to have to then cover herself with a full hijab. She is never openly defiant; defiance is impossible, but even thought she is obeying age old traditions that we'd assume would have dulled any emotional protest, through the mother's submission we get a brief glimpse of her distress, the natural human emotional distress that no amount of "aged tradition" or religious subjugation has the right to inflict on any human being.

In a country where cinemas are banned, Riyadh is not exactly a city where women can just go around shooting films. Females mixing with male co-workers would bring dire consequences. Al-Mansour shot the film anyway, directing much of it from the back of a van, and the result is a film representing the triumph of the defiant feminine spirit, in all forms.

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A poignantly triumphant movie, the storyline of "WADJDA" is just as phenomenal as the story of how the film came to be. In short, "WADJDA" represents quite a number of firsts. It's the first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia, a country where cinema is prohibited. Writer and director Haifaa Al Mansour is Saudi Arabia's first female filmmaker. It is also the first submission from Saudi Arabia for the Foreign Language Category for the 2014 Academy Awards.

Set in a country known for its repression of women, the movie follows our title character—a 10-year-old spirited girl—in her journey to buy a new bicycle so she can race her best friend, neighbor and crush Abdullah. Even though Wadjda's mother warns her to stay away from both bikes and boys because of their culture's strict customs, Wadjda is determined to buy her bike with her own hard-earned money, no matter what the consequences. This, in turn, leads to joining a Koran competition at school. If she wins, she will have more than enough to buy a bike and therefore beat the boy next door.

Subtly, the film explores the repercussions from this society in which girls should only be seen, not heard and, in public, only their eyes should be seen, with the rest of their faces covered by black veils. Wadjda tests boundaries in her search for freedom of expression. Although she discovers the contradictions in her world, she's determined to challenge women's traditional roles. The movie covers major topics such as polygamy and child-brides, as well as smaller oppressions such as the restriction of driving and rules of women in the presence of men.

It's mind-blowing to me that a movie about the oppression of women was made in the exact environment it depicts. On DVD, the making-of featurette explores in-depth the struggles and challenges that faced director Haifaa Al Mansour. The line, "respectable girls go inside," is said to Wadjda in the film, and Mansour confronted the same problems. She had to direct her cast out-of-sight using a walkie-talkie to communicate with her cast and a monitor to watch the filming. She could not be seen working with men and often, when religious officials would come to inspect the bustle, production would be halted and moved to another location. It took close to five years to make the movie, but the effort is worth it.

First timer Waad Mohammed is perfect as the fun-loving rebel Wadjda. This film is rated PG and I recommend it for ages 10 to 18. The pace may be slow for kids under ten. This is truly a landmark film that the world needs to watch. I give it five out of five stars. Perhaps the most uplifting message is that although the plot is fiction, the remarkable story behind the movie is not, and that shows that revolution is possible. This film played in theaters last year and will be released on February 11 on DVD/Blu-ray.

Reviewed by KIDS FIRST Film Critic Cassandra H. For more youth reviews go to kidsfirst dot org.

The director Haifaa Al-Mansour tells the tale of a child called Wadjda whose wish is to have her own bicycle so that she might race against her friend and neighbour Abeer. The only problem is that Wadjda is a girl and girls in Saudi society do not ride bikes, which are considered "boys' toys" ... As we follow Wadjda in her quest to find the money to purchase the bicycle she sees being delivered on the roof of a van, we are introduced to her society and its culture and, in particular, its treatment of girls and women. Al-Mansour's portrayal of her country is shown without heavy judgement, although the bitter sweetness of being female is not concealed.

Filmed on location in Saudi Arabia, a feat in itself in a country that does not have a film industry as films are considered sinful, Wadjda's desire represents the wish for female freedom; her lack of a bicycle is mirrored in the adult women's inability to drive, prohibited for women in Saudi Arabia, and the problems this creates for them. So the child's desire to ride a bike becomes a metaphor for freedom, which is the central theme in the film.

This is a subtle tale full of character, charm and complexities and not at all as one might expect. The young girl who carries the film, Waad Mohammed, is terrific and it is hard to believe that she was not an actress before appearing in this feature.

Does Wadjda achieve her desire and get her bike? Is she able to race it along the dusty roads as free as her friend Abeer and the other boys? Well, you will have to watch the film for the answers and in watching the film will support the director and the nascent film industry emerging from within Saudi Arabia.