Haifa Al-Mansour’s debut feature is a realist gem, which throws a spotlight on the domestic lives and daily challenges faced by Saudi Arabian women. Set in Riyadh, the film centres on ten-year-old tomboy Wadjda who longs for freedoms that are well beyond her reach. When her mother refuses to buy Wadjda a bicycle for fear of her young daughter’s modesty, Wadjda defiantly sets out to raise the money herself.
Wadjda
Directed by Haifaa Al-Mansour