Wadjda, 10 years old, living in Saudi Arabia, only wants ONE thing a NEW bicycle. Hard to believe that in our world today, a young girl would be denied the right to own a bicycle, yet that is just a small thing denied women in Saudi Arabia.
If you listen to NPR, you will hear, from time to time, stories about Saudi women protesting the fact that they are denied the "right" to drive automobiles - listening to a news story is one thing, seeing their plight on film is truly an eye-opening experience! One you might ponder for quite some time, especially if you are a Western woman who takes life for granted with issues such as driving a car!
Wadjda lives with her mother, who depends on a not-so-nice driver to drive her to her job. Wadjda's father does not live at the family home, late in the movie it will become clear as to the standards that do divide men and women in this culture.
Besides having to wear the "veil", women's outer garments are always Black, while men's garments are generally always white ----- in an area of the world where heat is a major issue, this difference truly does deliver the separation of the two.
Wadjda's desire for a bicycle leads her down a very sticky path, both at home and in her girls' school, where the head mistress is highly intolerant.
The one shining light in the movie is Wadjda's "boy" friend, who is willing to let her ride his bike, even though he knows it is highly forbidden.....
The young actress portraying Wadjda is exceptional, she has a sparkle in her eyes, sometimes a wickedness in her eyes, but always her eyes are a major part of her on screen performance.
This is a must SEE film for everyone. Hope you will consider this one.
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