‘Wadjda’ First Saudi Arabia Movie Filmed by a Woman Makes Waves

If you set your mind to something, no one can stop you, the mother told the young heroine in 'Wadjda,' the first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia. Coincidental or not, those words may have also served as the filmmaker's guiding light to plan, execute and finish the movie, for it was a woman, Haifaa Al-Mansour, who actually directed the film amidst the kingdom's many stiff rules against women working in public.

To say that Ms Al-Mansour had the vision and the plan was already an understatement. But to execute it was different and took an altogether different approach. For one, "it was a major obstacle to go out in the street and talk to my actors."

But because Ms Al-Mansour, who studied film in Australia, wanted to entertain people, she forged on to finish her film, never mind if it took her actually five years to cap it off.

"Securing the funding and getting the filming permission to make a movie in Saudi Arabia was so hard," she said, not to mention the very basic rule that women and men cannot mix in public places."

"When we shot in Riyadh, I could not publicly mix with my crew, who were men, so I often had to work from the back of a van, and talk to the actors on a walkie talkie, while I watched the scene on a monitor," the 38-year-old Ms Al Mansour, now married to an American, recalled to Jezebel.

'Wadjda' is the story of a pre-teen girl who so desperately wants to have her own bike after seeing one being sold in a shop window. On this plot, Ms Al-Mansour tells the many, varied schemes the young Wadjda will undertake, including selling mix tapes in the playground, to participating in a Koran memorisation competition at her school just to win and have the money needed to purchase that bicycle.

It has been viewed at festivals such as Cannes, the Venice Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival, not to mention receiving numerous awards. It has been scheduled for release in the United States later this year.

However, it will not be seen theatrically in Saudi Arabia since movie theaters are illegal in the kingdom. Those who want to watch it will have to get a copy through DVD or pay-TV.

As expected, 'Wadjda' cuts across the very heart of situations happening among the women of Saudi Arabia.

"I really didn't want people to say 'Because she's a woman, she's only talking about woman's issues.' But when I did my documentary and it was about women, I was amazed about how it touched lots of women...It's like an area that people don't have a chance to get into, especially in Saudi Arabia. It's difficult for a male filmmaker to break into this secluded world and have the same opportunities I had," Ms Al-Mansour said.

'Wadjda' is basically "a film about hope, embracing change and moving ahead."

"Saudi Arabia is opening up. I'm not saying it's heaven, but we saw Saudi sending women to the Olympics. There is an opportunity now for women to pursue their dreams."