Starring: Waad Mohammed, Reem Abdullah, Ahd
10-year-old Wadjda (Mohammed) is a free spirit, living amongst a conservative community in Saudi Arabia. Whilst her upbringing has been to teach her to live the life expected of a traditional Muslim wife and mother, Wadjda wants to learn how to ride a bike, something that seems far out of step of how a girl should act. Saving up all the money she can, Wadjda enters a school contest on reading and reciting the Koran to buy a bike with the prize money.
It's an interesting idea to take the often contentious subject matter of the culture of Islam and its varied ideologies and mine something entertaining and amusing out of it, but Wadjda does that and succeeds. However, this is of a very different breed to the dark satire on extremism, Four Lions (2010) and instead is a cuddly and charming look at a conservative but more moderate part of the diverse faith. Much of what we learn of The character of Wadjda comes from the way she's dressed. When she's introduced in the first scene of the film, the first thing we see amidst a crowd of polished and traditional shoes are Wadjda's trainers with lilac laces. Waad Mohammed plays Wadjda with a precocious sense if playfulness that makes her a joy to watch, whilst the supporting cast give assured performances in their own right. Given that this is of a culture largely overlooked in Western media, some parts can be lost in translation, but pretty much the entire film is likeable and sweet.
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