Wadjda

Viewpoints

New York Premiere

Germany | 97 MINUTES |

WADJDA

Drama, Female Director(s)
Meet Wadjda, a sarcastic, funny and streetwise ten-year-old girl whose unconventionally carefree demeanor not only sets her apart from most girls in her school but also frequently lands her in the headmistress’s office. Living in Riyadh with her young, beautiful mother who struggles with an absentee husband looking to marry a second wife, Wadjda strikes up a friendship with Abdullah, a neighborhood boy drawn to her confidence and charm. She spots a shiny green bicycle in the local shop and becomes determined to scrounge up enough money to buy it so that she can race Abdullah, a culturally unacceptable action with potential societal repercussions. Wadjda enters her school’s Koran recitation competition with her eye on the cash prize. As her school continues to crack down on the individual rights of its students, Wadjda stands steadfast, wise beyond her years and in opposition to a society loathe to recognize self-expression, a girl unwilling to surrender what she wants.

This groundbreaking first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and the first by a female Saudi filmmaker, Haifaa Al-Mansour’s Wadjda offers a moving, rarely seen picture of everyday life in Riyadh. With a central character so unique to the screen, Al-Mansour has crafted a subtle counterpoint to the images of females the world is accustomed to seeing, a character who holds hope for the future.

—Liza Domnitz

The 4/21 showtime for this film is screening as part of the Tribeca Talks® After the Movie series. Learn more here: Tribeca Talks® After the Movie:WADJDA

CAST & CREDITS

Directed by Haifaa Al-Mansour

HAIFAA AL-MANSOUR is the first female filmmaker in Saudi Arabia and considered one of the most significant cinematic figures in the Kingdom. A graduate of the American University in Cairo and the University of Sydney, she inspired a new wave of Saudi filmmakers with the success of her three short films and 2005 documentary Women Without Shadows.
Director
Haifaa Al Mansour
Screenwriter
Haifaa Al Mansour
Producer
Roman Paul, Gerhard Meixner
Editor
Andreas Wodraschke
Cinematographer
Lutz Reitemeier
Cast
Reem Abdullah, Waad Mohammed, Abdullrahman Al Gohani, Ahd, Sultan Al Assaf

CONTACTS

International Sales Contact
Michael Weber
The Match Factory
Cologne, 50668
Phone: 221 539 7090
info@matchfactory.de
Print Source
Michael Piaker
Sony Pictures Classics
New York, 10022
Phone: 212 833 8846
michael_piaker@spe.sony.com
US Sales Contact
Michael Weber
The Match Factory
Cologne, 50668
Phone: 221 539 7090
info@matchfactory.de
Press Contact
Donna Daniels
Daniels Murphy Communications
New York, NY 10016
Phone: 212 414 0408
ddaniels@danielsmurphy.com