Amidst a dusty Saudi Arabian landscape, a ten-year-old girl named Wadjda longs for the green bike – complete with streamers on the handlebars – that stands in front of a shop she passes on her walk home from school. She has challenged her friend Abdullah to a bike race and she must beat him, but at every turn Wadjda is reminded that girls don’t ride bikes. Tenacious Wadjda is trying to save enough money for the bike when she hears about her school’s Koran competition and its hefty cash prize, and her determination kicks in.

The story is driven by the relationships Wadjda has, and the peaks and troughs of these relationships echo the universal themes of friendship, desire and rebellion, which are at times heart breaking and at others, completely heart warming.

Wadjda can be described as having naturalistic style, with its unembellished locations and sparse soundtrack, which help to highlight the rich narrative. The style also gives the audience a sense of the reality of the issues at play in Wadjda’s story, both in Saudi Arabia and globally.

Wadjda is the first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia, and this gives the audience great cultural and social insight, particularly to the ideas, values and laws surrounding the behaviour of girls and women. Although the cheeky and enterprising Wadjda is often shown coming into conflict with these ideas, the film itself it does not pass judgement on the limitations its eponymous character faces, but rather, explores them truthfully.

Wadjda is a landmark piece of Saudi Arabian film that challenges its audience with the issues it explores, in a distinctive context foreign to the Australian silver screen. At its heart, Wadjda remains a feel-good film; perfect for any cinema lover.

Rating: 3.5/5

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