: By using local actors and real locations, the film captures the tension between tradition and modern desires. Themes of Resilience
The story follows 10-year-old Wadjda, a spunky, Converse-wearing girl living in the suburbs of Riyadh. While her society views cycling as a threat to a girl’s virtue, Wadjda sees a green bicycle in a shop window as her ticket to freedom and a way to beat her friend Abdullah in a race. Breaking Barriers Wadjda
(e.g., social media blurb, 1,000-word deep dive) : By using local actors and real locations,
Wadjda (2012) is much more than a coming-of-age story about a girl and a green bicycle. It is a landmark in cinematic history—the first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and the first directed by a Saudi woman, Haifaa al-Mansour. A Quiet Rebellion Breaking Barriers (e
(e.g., technical directing style, political impact)
: Al-Mansour often directed from a van using a walkie-talkie to avoid being seen working with men in public.