TRAILERS

Indie Trailer Sunday: Saudi Arabian Directorial Debut 'Wadjda' Trailer

by Alex Billington
July 14, 2013
Source: The Playlist

"All this because of a bike?!" Another charmer from the other side of the world for today's trailer. Wadjda is a film that I've been hearing great things about for many reasons. It's the first feature film from a Saudi Arabian female filmmaker named Haifaa Al-Mansour, and tells a story set in Saudi Arabia about a young girl who just wants to get enough money to buy a bike. It premiered at the Venice & Telluride Film Festivals last year and earned rave reviews. Sony Classics is releasing in the US, but hasn't set a date, however thanks to the upcoming UK release we now have a cute English subtitled trailer to watch. World cinema at its best.

Watch the official release trailer for Haifaa Al-Mansour's Wadjda, in high def from YouTube:

An enterprising Saudi girl (Waad Mohammed) signs off for her school's Koran recitation competition as a way to raise the remaining funds she needs in order to buy the green bicycle that's captured her interest.

This groundbreaking first feature shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and the first by a female Saudi filmmaker, Haifaa Al-Mansour's Wadjda offers a moving, rarely seen picture of everyday life in Riyadh. With a central character so unique to the screen, Al-Mansour has crafted a subtle counterpoint to the images of females the world is accustomed to seeing, a character who holds hope for the future. Sony Classics picked up the film after it premiered at festivals last year. Wadjda arrives in UK theaters July 19th, but no US date is set yet.

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