.Wadjda: Waad Mohammed.
Mother: Reem Abdullah.
Abdullah (the boy): Abdullrahman Al Gohani.
Father: Sultan Al Assaf.
Mss Hussa (the principal): Ahd Kamel.
Box Office: $14.5 million.
According to the oracle—Wikipedia—Wadjda was the first feature to be shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and the the first full-length film made in Saudi Arabia by a female director. It took al-Mansour five years to make the film, mostly in trying to find financial backing and in getting permission to film in Saudi Arabia. The film was filmed in Riyadh, "which often made it necessary for [al-Mansour] to work from the back of a van, as she could not publicly mix with the men in the crew." It was a critical success—no surprise.
Here is the trailer for the film:
And here is our spark plug heroine, Wadjda:
And her she is winning...and then losing.
So:
1. Your reaction to the film? And what scene or moment has stayed with you since this morning—and why?
2. This is a ways from the French movies we've watched this short term: Saudi society and culture is clearly, in many ways, different than both the French and American culture we've been seeing. Or is it? Does Wadjda's story, conflict, and circumstance have parallels in America—in your world and in films we've watched so far? If so, how—and if not, why not? Be thoughtful about this. al-Mansour is pretty clearly critiquing Saudi society—but she is also espousing it as well.
Write a couple hundred words. Tomorrow we will watch Red Hook Summer.
This movie was probably my favorite that we have watched so far. Wadjda, the main character, was such a lovable and funny character that it was hard not to love her and her story. Even besides just the fact that the main character was an incredibly strong, funny, and cunning young girl, the movie was so enjoyable because it highlighted actual issues in Saudi society. The filmmaker was clearly trying to say something about the way in which women are treated and she definitely succeeded in getting her point across. A moment that stayed with me was when the little girl in the religious group was showing off her wedding photos. It was essential to the film’s storyline to demonstrate that while Wadjda was trying to navigate life and buy a bicycle, this girl her age was married.
ReplyDeleteI believe that parallels can be drawn between Saudi society and American society. In all the movies we have watched about schools, regardless of the country, there have been similar themes. In each of the movies there are rebellious children and authority figures trying to stop them. Although there are differences between what these rebellions are, in all circumstances there are adults trying to get the children to conform. In every society there are different rebellions that must take place, regardless of how large or small they are.
1. I really liked Wadjda (the movie) because I loved Wadjda (the character). Wadjda knows what she wants and does her absolute best to get it, despite what society tells her; she is a firecracker. Despite everything she faces, Wadjda keeps her spirits up and continues to work towards her goals. The world Wadjda inhabits can be difficult, but she never loses hope. The scene that has stuck with me since this morning was the ending scene where Wadjda pedals closer and closer to the road. The whole class was on edge as she approached the busy street and there were many audible sighs of relief when Wadjda stopped short of the road. The fact that the whole class was so invested in that scene really speaks to its power. We see Wadjda happy and free, finally racing her friend on a bike, but she is also incredibly close to danger. If Wadjda cannot figure out where to stop, she will bike into the busy street; she is in joyous but fraught territory.
ReplyDelete2. In the past three movies we have watched we have seen American, French, and Saudi schools and they all function essentially the same. Each society's school is designed to produce a certain type of student and then goes about breaking students down and remolding them in the school's image, despite the wishes of the student. None of the societies we have seen on screen create schools that truly allow students to be themselves. Instead, every society has an ideal person that they try to mold their students into. None of the school's ideal students are free thinkers who advocate for themselves. Paideia does this to some extent but not as intensely as the schools we have seen on screen. Paideia, like the other schools we have studied this year, tries to mold a specific kind of student, sometimes at the expense of individual students. Schools struggle to strike a balance between raising students to an ideal and running over them.
1 ) I really liked the film. I think it did a good job of portraying Saudi society as being very oppressive towards women. It was interesting to see how something as simple as a girl wanting a bike caused so many problems in the movie. If the movie had been set in America it probably would have been over in 10 minuets because there would have been no conflict. The scene when the principal took the money from Wadjda really stayed with me. It was very unjust to Wadjda for the principle to take the money. Wadjda had earned the money by winning the contest and she should have been able to spend it however she wanted to. This scene showed how strict Saudi society can be to woman.
ReplyDelete2 ) The only big parallels that I see are that in America and the film teenagers do not particularly enjoy school and they rebel against what their parents want them to do. There are also some parts of American society that have more traditionally male and female roles. The film is very different in many ways from America also. American society is definitely not very restrictive towards woman compared to this movie. The French movie seemed to show French schools as being pretty similar to to American schools and the school in the French movie was not at all like Wadjda’s school. I can definitely relate a lot more to the French movie than the movie Wadjda.
1. I really loved this film mostly because I really adored Wajda. She had this special spunkiness to her. She had this very charming confident and rebellious spirit that you sometimes see in children but very rarely see in adults. A moment that stood out to me was when Wajda’s mom gets her the bicycle and then she and her mom have a sweet moment together. To Wajda, the bicycle represents freedom, independence, and escaping the oppressive society that she lives in. Throughout most of the film, Wajda’s mom wants Wajda to fit into the mold of being the perfect Muslim girl who obeys the rules, never speaks out, is shy, and has no real personality or individuality. For most of the movie, Wajda’s mom wants to control Wajda and completely shape who Wajda will be rather than just letting Wajda be herself. She doesn’t want to let go. It was incredibly touching when the mom got Wajda the bike because to me, this was the ultimate sign of love and acceptance for Wajda because here, the mother is saying that she is allowing Wajda to be herself and let her find out who she is rather than forcing her to fit a certain mold. She is allowing Wajda to have some independence rather than controlling and restricting everything she does even if this is scary for her. Rather than trying to protect Wajda by forcing her to be like everyone else, she is going to let her be the individual that she genuinely is.
ReplyDelete2. Even though there are obvious differences between Saudi society and American and French society, we see how in all these societies, from a young age, kids are expected to fit a certain role. Adolescents from all cultures have to deal with finding out who they are and wanting independence and wanting to rebel while also being restricted by society.
1) I really enjoyed this movie. It was the second time I have watched it, but this time I definitely got more out of it by looking through the lenses we have utilised in this class. Usually, we do not see movies made in arabic and filmed in Saudi Arabia, just because of their strict society that restricts media uses. I think this film approached making a movie set in this different life really well. I liked how the society’s depiction felt very authentic. Often middle eastern life is very criticized and thought to be brutal, but this movie showed that these people are real humans with real lives, rather than enforcing the stereotype. The scene that has stood out the most to me is when Wajda’s mother ended up buying her daughter the bike. In this film, Wadjda is usually seen as the rebellious figure, but her mother has rebellion built into her too. It is brought out after her husband marries another woman. I think we was so afraid of doing something wrong that would make him leave early in the movie, so she acted very against western ways. Slowly, she begins to realize her daughter is different and doesn’t care about going against the social norm. Wadjda helps her mother become a stronger person.
ReplyDelete2) I think there are some parallels between the Saudi, French, and American culture, but there are also significant differences. In the three societies, children are often looked down upon as troublesome, incapable, or disrespectful. They are expected to have a higher level of respect for their elders, and be punished for their misdeeds. This is exhibited at both Wellton, the French school, and the school Wadjda attended. Children who stepped out of place received serious repercussions. Also, all the kids rebelled in some way, whether it be forming a secret society, talking back to the teacher, or painting your toenails and wanting a bike. I think rebelingl is an overarching desire between all kids, no matter what culture they grow up in. Most children want to stand out in some way, or express themselves, but when adults are oppressing them, it results in rebellion. The differences stand out more, though. In Saudi society, the simplest of infractions could get you punished. There is a much stricter divide between women and men, but only the women are punished for wrongdoings while the men get away free of charge. Also, in America people are not shamed for wanting a bicycle. The rules in each society are very different, but the way people are viewed and act have some similarities.
1. I really enjoyed the film it felt very hopeful and exciting, but at the same time there were darker undertones. Wadjda was successful in her goal of obtaining a bicycle.There was one scene that stuck with me from the moment we saw it until now was in the mall with Wadjda’s mother. When the mother was in her full niqab looking at the beautiful red dress. It was something that she obviously wanted, but there is such a pressure from her society to dress a certain way. Her mother had to go into the bathroom and try on the dress herself. Another scene that struck me hard was when Wadjda was hugging her mother on the roof while her father was being married. It reminded me a lot of my own life with just my mother and I living together. I loved this movie it was very nice and optimistic unlike several of the other movies we watched.
ReplyDelete2. I do believe that similarities can be drawn between the cultures in their treatment of children. From a very young age children are taught that their gender will affect the rest of their life. Girls have “girly” things like the color pink, Barbie, or dolls. None of these things actually have to be enjoyed by girls or only by girls. The decisive pressure of gender is prevalent in all of the compared societies: the United States, France, and Saudi Arabia. The guidelines, however, are very different for each country. Saudi Arabia is clearly much more strict in their divisions between gender, as it is scandalous for Wadjda to even want a bicycle. In the U.S. the differences are much more buried and hidden.
1) I liked the film and how there is a bit of a hopeful cliffhanger. I loved how the movie made commentary on the way that women are treated in Saudi Arabia. Wadjda stands out so much from the other women in the movie because she always says what is on her mind and has an amazing amount of determination and resilience considering that society is against her being able to do what she wants. A moment that stuck with me was towards the end when Wadjda’s mother revealed that she purchased her the bicycle and said that Wadjda was all she had left. Up until that moment, the mom’s character was incredibly traditional and even gave up on things that she wanted to do (like cutting her hair or getting a job at the hospital) because she still had hope that her husband would come back. I think it shows how this society can be harmful to the emotional health of the women who live in it. Another scene that stuck with me was when Wadjda was called into the office to either confirm or deny that the two older girls had only been reading magazines behind the school and she said that she was too far away to see. I am not sure how I felt about Wadjda after that point in the movie. She had always been so outspoken and blunt and that moment really disappointed me and I found it hard to want to root for her.
ReplyDelete2) I think that despite what culture you are from, it is a given that children are expect to fill the mold that society gives them. Children are to always do what the adults in their lives tell them to do because they know best. In Dead Poet’s Society, the boys first felt like they had to live up to their parents standards of being doctors and lawyers and then they had to live up Keating’s idea of being free-thinkers. In The Class, the teachers wanted to get the kids to cause as little friction in the school environment as possible. In Wadjda, girls are meant to go to school just so they can learn how to be devout Islamic housewives. In most the movies we’ve seen, the main character(s) have a struggle with identity and not being able to fit the mold that society has created for them. Neil wants to be an actor when his father wants him to be a doctor, Khoumba does not want to give respect if she does not get that respect in return, all Wadjda wants to do is purchase her own bike to beat her friend in a race but a bike “is not a girl’s toy”. All these films show what it is like to go against the plan that society has for you.
ReplyDeleteI thought this film was inspiring and funny. I liked how the movie could have light-hearted moments despite the heavy realities of womanhood Wadjda is forced to face. The moment in which Wadjda discovers the family tree really stuck with me. I could tell that she was hurt upon the realization that only men’s names were allowed to be displayed on the diagram. Throughout this entire film, we see Wadjda being put down by the patriarchal society she lives in, making for a powerful moment when Wadjda decides to put her own name on the newest leaf. I really enjoyed all the moments in which Wadjda decided to be bold and take a stand against the oppressive, repressive society she lives in. She is a character I truly admire for her individuality, bravery, and diligence.
I think that women face oppression to a much smaller degree in America. I think that many American women (especially religious women) believe that they live their lives as accessories for men, and live their lives to please them. Americans are much more advanced in terms of gender equity. Wadjda’s experience reflects the experience of any young person, regardless of cultural upbringing. Adolescents everywhere are expected to follow a certain path, whether they want to pursue that path or not, that corresponds with the norms of their culture. In every location, there are people who rebel or go against what is expected of them, like Wadjda, at the fault of human nature.
1. The majority of works I’ve either read or seen about different Middle Eastern cultures have been really depressing. The entire time, people are either dying or being beaten, and when there is a happy scene, it quickly turns into something really horrifying. In A Thousand Splendid Suns, every time one of the women was happy, you knew that Rasheed was going to come and ruin it. This depiction seems unfair to me. Although suffering is a valid theme (and I understand that these depictions can be accurate), these works are quite depressing for my taste. That being said, I really like Wadjda. It was much more uplifting. Wadjda is such a fun character to follow around because she’s so smart and stubborn. The most memorable scene for me was when Wadjda’s mother presented Wadjda with the bike. It showed how Wadjda’s father getting married was probably going to be a good thing for their family, rather than bad.
ReplyDelete2. A number of the rules from Saudi society that we saw in Wadjda are actually very similar to some of the societal rules in American culture. The rules in Wadjda were just more extreme and government-enforced. In the U.S., many people frown upon women exposing their bodies or having sex with men outside of marriage, while those rules aren’t placed upon men. Boys are more encouraged to play sports and ride bikes. Even though my life is really different from Wadjda’s some of her experiences had a warped kind of familiarity to me.
Overall, I really enjoyed the movie. I liked how Wadja was forced to fully commit to the culture that she had been rebelling against. Studying the Koran was difficult for her, but she persevered to get the prize money. The scene that stuck with me was when Wadja and her mother were on the balcony hugging while her father’s wedding was taking place. The emotions that were displayed were very difficult to see. Wajda's joy of having a bike, and the agony that the girls were feeling of losing their father and husband.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the struggles Wadja faces throughout the movie are different than the ones we might face, I feel that our society is not that different than hers. Women are going through troubles in Saudi society, that are similar to the issues that LGBTQ members face in our society. There are certain things that make different groups of people uncomfortable, and people have to overcome to create an environment where that feeling no longer coexists with their presence. Civil rights has been a world-wide issue, and as countries approach these conflicts, people get comfortable with everyone having rights. A lot of the kids in the movies we watched struggled with their society. JIm had trouble fitting in with the kids around him and his parents, the kids in Mr. Marin’s class had trouble opening up about their personal life, and the kids in The Last Picture Show had trouble finding purpose. Wajda's issues are not that different compared to the other kids’. All of these kids are struggling to understand their societies and help create an environment that they feel they can live in. Fitting in and changing social norms is part of going through adolescence.
1: This film was beautifully shot, and I appreciate the effort al-Mansour made to film it in an authentic place, such as Saudi Arabia. Although the film was in a different language, the outstanding acting made it easy for me to understand emotions and just get a better sense of what is going on. A scene that really stood with me is when the principal walks out to find the two girls sitting and apparently commiting a sin and punishes them. It really shows the level of harshness some cultures have when two individuals of the same sex want to show affection for each other. I could really connect with that scene because I think in our culture we have a lot of homophobia as well. And in all honesty, it didn’t even seem obvious that those two girls where in fact gay. There was a good possibility they just wanted to show affection to each other, because in their day to day life they can’t show much affection to anybody.
ReplyDelete2: Although usually not as harsh, as I briefly stated above, there are a few similarities that can be drawn between Saudi and American society. The treatment of women (which is obviously less strict and not engraved into religious law here) is, in some ways, similar in America. Women have certain expectations, such as marrying and raising a good family, just like in Saudi culture. Also, women are not in general thought of as competing against males in sports. Women here can freely ride bikes without much trouble, but racing against boys would be thought of as strange and our out of place.
1. A scene that really stuck with me is the scene at the end where Wadjda and Abdul are riding down the street with each other on their bikes. I remembered it because it really contrasted with the "bleak" mood of the movie. The rest of the movie is kind of sad in the way that it shows how females are repressed by society. Although Wadjda will probably be told by someone that she shouldn't be riding the bike in the near future, it is still a nice "happy ending" that makes the viewer feel happy for the characters.
ReplyDelete2. There are not very many parallels that I could find between America and Saudi Arabia. There are definitely more serious problems in the culture of Saudi Arabia. The children of both countries are expected to learn how to conform to the roles that society has assigned/expects from them. Another parallel is the expectations from women from society. While the expectations in America aren't nearly as extreme as the ones in Saudi Arabia, there are still roles that women are expected to fill in American society.
I really like this film. I thought this movie was lighthearted and cute when it needed to be, but also serious and sometimes somber. The director did a good job of working off of an otherwise simple plot being that the main character wants to buy a bike and race, and making sure elements of the story such as the “Learn the Koran the Easy Way” video game didn’t go to waste. The moment from the film that has stuck with me throughout the day was the final scene. After all the laughing and joking about Wadjda getting hit by a car subsided and we were able to start our discussion, I was able to think a little more about the importance of the last scene. Wadjda on her back confidently looking ahead in to the traffic in front of her shows how if Wadjda wants to keep being herself and keep riding her bike, there will be plenty of obstacles that will try and knock her down.
ReplyDeleteThe gender roles set out for Wadjda and even her friend Abdullah are magnified by the society they live in, but that is not to say that they wouldn’t face similar standards in America to a lesser degree. Even in the U.S, we see parents assigning colors to genders, telling girls they can’t play with nerf guns, and telling boys that they can’t play with dolls. The expectations in the film seem to be for girls to get married and have sons, and for boys to marry a woman and support the family to extend the bloodline. Although not as extreme, American families also raise their children with visions and expectations for their future, and in both cultures, the reaction to anyone straying from the norm can be unforgiving.
I really enjoyed this movie. It took what appeared to be a strict culture, and added a spunky girl who wouldn’t do what she was told. I was waiting for serious consequences to happen, but everyone seems to secretly be rooting for her to get her way and get the bike. She did work hard to do so. My favorite part wasn't a scene per se, but the progression of Wadjda learning the Koran. She actually put in a lot of work even if she did do it the easy way. She finally started getting answers right on the game and her teacher called her out for her hard work. I just loved the idea of her kind of giving in to what everyone was telling her to do by studying religion just so that she could go out and buy a bike which is exactly what they were discouraging.
ReplyDeleteI think Wadjda lives in a society like ours but to an extreme. I can see how the rules that she is not supposed to break are like the ones teens in our generation are breaking all the time. Her equivalent of alcohol or sex as a teen is showing her face or having a friendship or relationship with a boy before marriage. These can be connected in some sense, but for the most part, Saudi culture is more restricting than ours. I think there is more of a difference than there is a similarity. The Saudi culture restricts women from doing almost anything while the men have many more rights. The women cannot show any skin while the men can and the women cannot drive. I think that these laws restrict women from doing a daily thing, while the rules against taboo topics here are only trying to prevent us from doing something extreme. We are able to go about our normal day, but it’s the things we want but don’t need that are being restricted. The women in Saudi Arabia deal with rules that are about such smaller things such as a man hearing you sing. I’m conflicted because I can see similar patterns between America and Saudi Arabia, but I find it hard to say that our hardships are similar when theirs are clearly debilitating while ours are not.
Your reaction to the film? And what scene or moment has stayed with you since this morning—and why?
ReplyDeleteThis has been my favorite movie we've seen so far. It had a very simple base concept (a young girl wants to buy a bike), but had enough complex conflict in it (her mother and father’s relationship, cultural pressure) to make it engaging. A scene that resonates with me is the one near the end where Wadjda and her mother hug on the roof as the fireworks explode in the background. To be fully honest, I cried during that scene. I think the film’s cinematography was exceptional. I can't wait to see it again.
2. Does Wadjda's story, conflict, and circumstance have parallels in America—in your world and in films we've watched so far? If so, how—and if not, why not? Be thoughtful about this. al-Mansour is pretty clearly critiquing Saudi society—but she is also espousing it as well.
I think that, while there are societal pressures against women, the circumstances for Saudi women are much harsher. The most apparent difference between American and Saudi culture around women is marriage. Saudi girls can be married to a 20 year old at 10, which is illegal in most (if not all) parts of the US. If an American 10 year old married a man twice her age she would be judged harshly (rightfully so), and the marriage would not be supported. The parallelI see between the two cultures is in the idea that women are weak and therefore cannot do certain things, like ride a bike in Wadjda’s case or be president in America.