February 2014: Wadjda

Wadja Film Poster

Our February screening, on 2 February at 19:00, is the first film to be filmed entirely in Saudi Arabia.

Directed by Haifaa al-Mansour, it tells the story of  Wadjda, a 10-year old girl who lives in Riyadh in a conservative family. One day Wadjda sees a beautiful green bike that she falls in love with. But her mother won’t allow her to have it, fearing the repurcussions of her daughter owning a bicycle in a society where bikes are viewed as dangerous to a girl’s virtue.

So she decides to raise the money herself by various enterprises, and eventually by entering a Koran recital competition.

Bitch magazine says of the film:

Wadjda doesn’t rest on the accomplishment of being an international first—the film is excellent by any standard. It would be a great film even if it were the fourth film shot in Saudi Arabia or the hundredth. What’s refreshing about the film is it does not try to tell a moral story. Instead, it follows a young girl named Wadjda through her daily life, resulting in an intimate look at the kind of life that’s rarely seen.

You can watch the trailer on youtube

Doors 19:00, film starts 19:15. See you there!