Wadjda is a film about a young Saudi girl who desires to purchase a green bicycle. Though the plot is simple, the depth of the story is what brings great life to it. The Saudi culture of women having very little to no voice in the society is represented fully in this film. We see Wadjda's father leave her mother for another wife because Mother cannot have children anymore. As the director, Haifaa al-Mansour shows the culture in a wonderfully impactful scene where Wadjda places her name on her father's family tree. But, her name is removed as only men are allowed to have their names on the tree.
Wadjda desiring a bike has great meaning, in that a girl owning a bike is not culturally acceptable. Thus she, at an early age is going against the grain of what society tells a Saudi girl she is supposed to do and be. What is brought through clearly and simply is that the oppressive culture against women in Saudi Arabia creates two things. First, that women are not made to have dreams, instead they are made only to have male children for their husbands and keep a clean home. They are not to be seen nor heard from in public and they are to do as their husbands want. Nothing more. This creates an opposition to the oppressive nature of the Saudi culture. A need to express oneself and dream of things that others wouldn't dare for fear of not being accepted in a male-dominated society. Wadjda represents this. Secondly, this male-driven culture creates women who seek to continue this way of life as they believe in it. Thus, these women become more legalistic than the men. This idea is represented in the character of Ms. Hussa.
Haifaa al-Mansour crafts life on film. And we see very little of the world outside of Wadjda's home and school routes. Thus, when Mother gives the green bicycle to her daughter and she rides to the edge of the main road it indicates that the young girl can now see the possibility of a larger world. And, also that there is more to dream as her bicycle contrasts the largeness of the speeding cars on the road.
