Wadjda tells the story of a young girl living in a suburb of Riyadh determined to raise enough money to buy a bike in a society that sees bicycles as dangerous to a girl's virtue. She decides to enter the school’s Quran contest just to buy it with the prize money.
March 22, 2016
A cinematic gem, Wadjda is a movie that combines pointed political and social commentary, wonderful performances and an extraordinarily charming young heroine you can root for.October 17, 2013
This delightful debut feature by a Saudi woman named Haifaa Al-Mansour uses a bicycle as a metaphor for freedom within a social circumference.October 11, 2013
A sweet little film about the human spirit, about want and energy and determination against unfair odds.December 10, 2013
The most radical and cheering message of Wadjda is that a change isn't just possible, but inevitable.October 04, 2013
In Saudi filmmaker Haifaa al-Mansour's winsome wonder Wadjda, a young girl's aspirations provide an intimate glimpse into the possibilities and limitations of a cloaked culture.April 03, 2014
Filmmaker Haifaa Al Mansour uses the simple story as our entry into a complex culture and a pointed perspective on how women are treated in Saudi society ...March 28, 2014
This is a film to be admired for both its on-screen and off-screen story.April 08, 2014
There are important films and there are good films, and the two do not necessarily always overlap. Wadjda is both important and very, very good.August 10, 2014
...a well-intentioned yet terminally uneven endeavor...March 21, 2014
A warm, winning, restless film...Beautiful, modestly progressive and heartfelt, with a wonderful, brash central performance from first-timer Waad Mohammed.October 17, 2013
"Wadjda" earns extra points just for being what it is. Who knew that, in a country that famously frowns on women driving cars, some are even allowed to make movies?October 03, 2013
More than a critique of Saudi society, "Wadjda" offers a character with universal resonance and appeal.