Synopsis & Film Details
Filmworks presents the first-ever full-length feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia, a movie that the Boston Globe says “offers a character with universal resonance and appeal.” The coming-of-age drama, which won the Audience Award for Best International Feature at the 2013 Los Angeles Film Festival, tells the story of Wadjda Mohammed, an adventurous 10-year-old girl living in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. After getting into a fight with her friend Abdullah, young Wadjda sees a glorious green bicycle that is for sale at a local shop, and she decides that she wants to own the bicycle so that she can beat Abdullah in a race. Her mother, however, won’t allow it, and she tries to protect Wadjda from the judgment of a socially conservative culture that would frown on that sort of behavior. The smart, stubborn Wadjda decides to participate in a male-dominated Quran competition at school, in her quest to raise money for a bicycle that symbolizes much more than transportation. In Arabic, with English subtitles.
Director: Haifaa al-Mansour
Saudi Arabia (2013) • 97 minutes • Rated PG
Discussion Circle
After the 5:30 p.m. show, join scholars Randa Jarrar and Huda Munjy to talk about the film. Jarrar, the award-winning author of the novel A Map of Home, has published her work in The New York Times Magazine, Salon, Guernica, and more. She teaches creative writing and literature at Fresno State. Munjy, whose family is originally from Iraq and Kurdistan, was born and raised in Fresno. She earned her B.A. in engineering from Fresno State, and she is currently a Ph.D. candidate in civil engineering at UC Irvine. Moderated by Filmworks board member Mary Husain.
Screening Sponsor
Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno
Established in 2002, the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno (ICCF) is a nonprofit organization that provides religious and cultural programs that aim to provide a place of worship; promote religious understanding for people of all faiths; host distinguished scholars and clerics who present relevant lectures and forums; and provide counseling for the benefit of the area’s Muslim community.
Filmworks thanks K-Jewel 99.3 FM, The Fresno Bee, Vida en el Valle, and Stella Artois for their support.