Country: Arabia Saudita, Germany
Year: 2012
Duration: 98'
Ten-year-old Wadjda is a bit too lively for the world she lives in, a very conservative suburb of Riyadh. Although she has been forbidden to do so, she continues to see her friend Abdullah, and in order to go faster than him, she decides she absolutely has to have a bicycle. Her mother, fearing the reaction of the community, refuses to buy her a bike, and Wadjda, who is determined to get the money on her own, finds herself going against her own nature in order to get what she wants.
Biography
film director
Haifaa Al Mansour
Haifaa Al Mansour (Saudi Arabia, 1974) studied comparative literature at the American University in Cairo and film at the University of Sydney. She debuted in 2005 with the fairly successful documentary Women Without Shadows. This success was confirmed by Wadjda (2012), her feature film debut, whose world premiere was held at the Venice Film Festival, where she won the Interfilm Award, the CinemAvvenire Award and the C.I.C.A.E. Award. The first female Saudi director and considered one of the major film talents in the Arab world, she is presently working on Nappily Ever After, which is now in post-production.
FILMOGRAFIA
Women Without Shadows (doc., 2005), Wadjda (La bicicletta verde, 2012), Mary Shelley (2017).
Declaration
film director
“I come from a small town in Saudi Arabia where there are many girls like Wadjda who have so much potential. These girls can, and will, reshape and redefine our nation. It was important for me to work with an all Saudi cast, to tell this story with authentic, local voices. Filming was an amazing crosscultural collaboration that brought two immensely talented crews, from Germany and Saudi Arabia, into the heart of Riyadh. I hope the film offers a unique insight into my own country and speaks of universal themes of hope and perseverance that people of all cultures can relate to.”
Cast
& Credits
regia, sceneggiatura/director, screenplay
Haifaa Al Mansour
fotografia/cinematography
Lutz Reitemeier
montaggio/film editing Andreas Wodraschke
scenografia/production design Thomas Molt
costumi/costume design Peter Pohl
musica/music Max Richter
suono/sound Sebastian Schmidt
interpreti e personaggi/cast and characters Reem Abdullah (la madre/mother), Waad Mohammed (Wadjda), Abdullrahman Al Gohani (Abdullah), Ahd (Hussa), Sultan Al Assaf (il padre/father)
produttori/producers Roman Paul, Gerhard Meixner
produzione/production Razor Film
coproduttore/coproducer Amr Alkahtani
coproduzione/coproduction High Look Group, Rotana Studios, Norddeutscher Rundfunk, Bayerischer Rundfunk
distribuzione/distribution Archibald
montaggio/film editing Andreas Wodraschke
scenografia/production design Thomas Molt
costumi/costume design Peter Pohl
musica/music Max Richter
suono/sound Sebastian Schmidt
interpreti e personaggi/cast and characters Reem Abdullah (la madre/mother), Waad Mohammed (Wadjda), Abdullrahman Al Gohani (Abdullah), Ahd (Hussa), Sultan Al Assaf (il padre/father)
produttori/producers Roman Paul, Gerhard Meixner
produzione/production Razor Film
coproduttore/coproducer Amr Alkahtani
coproduzione/coproduction High Look Group, Rotana Studios, Norddeutscher Rundfunk, Bayerischer Rundfunk
distribuzione/distribution Archibald
