Wadjda

One thing that makes this movie stands out is the fact that it is entirely based in Saudi Arabia.

Regardless what one thinks of that country, be that knowledge or just stereotyping, it has a culture that is very different than that of what the western audience is accustomed to.

So he have a heroine who is your typical rebel teenage girl, who has realised that being a woman can be challenging and she therefore must give her fight to survive. The story revolves around an utterly sinful desire this young revolver has: to buy and ride a bicycle. To go about that, she must overcome her mum's objections, the shopkeeper's and pretty much everyone she is acquainted with.

Unprepared to simply accept fate, she is prepared to do whatever it takes to ride that bicycle. Quirky and witty, this is a delight and one should not allow any preconceived notions of Arabic culture to stand in the way of enjoying this pleasurable debut.

Wadjda is a hero in any culture.

10-year-old Wadjda lives in Saudi Arabia. She's a bit rebellious, which means she wears basket shoes in school, listens to Western rock at home and has befriended a boy her own age. But she mustn't sing too loud, because the men can hear her and get offended.

Wadjda wants to go further and have her own bicycle, which invites trouble in her country. The story is told in a very warm way and you learn one thing. People in cultures totally different from yours are very much like you.

Realism here. Everyday people having everyday problems, but not the problems you have. A humanistic film, which makes it concerning everybody.

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.

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.

In a land where where cinemas are illegal, the first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia by its first female director, 'Wadjda' is simple yet alluring neorealist film about a child and a bicycle. Haifaa Al-Mansour's brave effort gives us an interesting glimpse into the lives of women in a strict religious country like Saudi Arabia.

Being scolded for not wearing a head-scarf to school and for singing when her father's friends are in the other room (women unable to show themselves or their talents in presence of men), being sexually harassed by a building site worker, seeing her mother sad and angry because her dad is about to marry another woman (desperation for a male heir and the existence of polygamy), her mother almost losing her job because of her dependence on a rude driver (women are not allowed to drive any kind of transport), seeing one of her classmates getting married (rare but existent child marriages), seeing two elder schoolmates get wrongfully accused of immoral intimate conduct, and feeling disappointed after not seeing her name in the family tree (only male children are given importance); these are just few of the female struggles we see through the eyes of our young tomboy heroine, Wadjda. From the very first scene where she stands out in a group of singing school girls with her converse shoes, we see Wadjda as someone rebellious and strong. In a repressive land where women are oppressed, based on strict religious laws, not only by men but by other women as well, Wadjda dreams of having a green bicycle, so that she could overtake her annoying yet caring friend Abdullah. Though girls are not allowed to ride bikes, she starts collecting money by selling love-song mixed tapes and football club bracelets to her schoolmates. And thus begins her journey. Just like 'The Bicycle Thief', the bicycle here signifies freedom.

The young yet incredibly talented Waad Mohammed gives a charming performance, and carries the movie on her shoulders with terrific ease. Waad along with Haifaa (Director) are the two brave talents that emerge from this feature. All the supporting actors act commendably as well. International composer Max Richter's background score is subtle yet as captivating as the movie itself. Shot with such authentic beauty, there are many scenes which stay in your mind long after the movie is over, one of which is where the young friend Abdullah asks Wadjda, in an adorably sweet way, if she knows that he wants to marry her when they grow up; the scene has a lot of meaning and hope attached to it.

It's not just a critique on Saudi society, but it's a universal story which talks about a society's limitations and possibilities.