Saudi Arabia is the country that believes in Islam with the strictest requirements on its people - idol worship is not allowed, only Allah can be believed; in public places, men and women must be separated, and women must wear black robes and veils; no photography of temples or residents is allowed. It is also impolite to film women in residence, etc.; excessive entertainment is prohibited... Under various constraints, Saudi Arabia has long banned cinemas, and it is very difficult to shoot movies.
In 2012, "Wajda" became the first film to be completely shot and produced by Saudi Arabia. Female directors only dare to hide in the car to direct the filming, and actresses also need to muster up their courage to act in public.
In Saudi Arabia, women cannot ride bicycles, motorcycles, or drive. Until 2013, women were not allowed to ride for recreational purposes and accompanied by a man. By 2018, women were allowed to drive and movie theaters were reopened.
As an "oil kingdom", Saudi Arabia is very rich, and many of its residents live very richly. The little girl Waganda in the film was born in a relatively wealthy family and studied in a girls' school.
Wajda's dream was something Saudi society couldn't allow: owning a bicycle. Therefore, even with money, Waganda cannot easily realize this dream.
Revolving around how Waganda obtained a bicycle, the film unfolds a family story of modern secular versus religious traditions.
Waganda
The heroine, Waganda, is a rebellious girl who wears canvas shoes, listens to rock music, and refuses to wear a veil. She dared to talk back to the driver who made things difficult for her mother, and she also dared to pick up the nail polish hidden by her classmates and apply it to herself. The principal asked her to wear regular black shoes, and Vajda would rather paint the white edges of her canvas shoes black than change them.
Abdullah is Waganda's best playmate. One day, while they were chasing and fighting, Abdullah beat Waganda on a bicycle. Waganda therefore made up his mind to buy a bicycle of his own.
After seeing a green bike in the grocery store, she tried to get her mother to buy it for her, but was turned down.
Still, Waganda did not give up on her dream. She "bribed" the grocer with a cassette to keep the bike for himself.
In order to save money, she secretly sold the bracelets she made at school, and paid a fee to help her classmates and cousins pass letters. Finally, aiming at a huge bonus, she participated in the Koran knowledge contest held by the school and successfully won the first place.
It's ironic that a rebellious girl who doesn't know anything about the Quran wins a race to buy a bike.
However, because of expressing his true thoughts on stage, Waganda's prize money was donated by the principal without authorization. This small move well insinuates the exploitation of the weak by the strong in Saudi society.
Waganda has never obediently obeyed the rules of society. She has her own judgment and the courage to follow her heart. She is able to work hard for her dream regardless of other people's eyes.
However, the strong Waganda still cried after being deprived of the bonus. She has no control over the results of her day-to-day efforts.
headmistress
It is not difficult to see in the film that the education in girls' schools is to enable girls to quickly adapt and integrate into the patriarchal society in the future. The headmistress strictly supervises the grooming and behavior of the girls.
But even such a woman who abides by the rules of society was once as rebellious as Waganda, and now she has secretly brought a lover to her home.
Under the social "domestication" of women and the suppression of their nature, women seem to have long forgotten what they really are like.
waganda's mother
Wajda's mother is a traditional Saudi woman who strives to live according to social standards and the way her husband likes it.
In Saudi Arabia, it is common for girls to be arranged by their parents. This is alluded to by the words of Waganda's mother and the fact that Waganda's little girl in her class was married to an adult man by her parents.
Fortunately, Waganda's parents were childhood sweethearts and married through free love.
But this seemingly happy marriage still can't stand the blow of secular concepts. It is undeniable that Waganda's father loves his wife and daughter, but this does not affect his desire to marry another wife who can have a boy. Vajda's mother followed religious traditions, but could not accept polygamy, which was permitted by religion.
Waganda's mother was ultimately powerless in the face of the cage of the patriarchal society. The best she could do to fight back was to buy Waganda the bike that the girl shouldn't have.
Mother herself was powerless to rebel against society, but Vajda could. This bike holds the hope of the mother. She hoped that Waganda would be happy, and she hoped that her tragedy would not be repeated on her daughter.
Abdullah
Abdullah seems to be a boy who believes in religious traditions and secular concepts. He knows that girls cannot ride bicycles, and he also believes that adults say that if you die for Allah, you will get 70 brides in heaven.
But he could make an exception for Waganda. Not only did he accept Waganda's desire to ride a bike, he lent Waganda his bike and taught her how to ride it himself. He was kind enough to add auxiliary wheels to the bike, but doing so hurt Waganda's self-esteem. Abdullah immediately took off the wheel without saying a word, trying to comfort Wajda. He did not want to see Waganda cry.
I was moved when I saw Abdullah say to Waganda, "You know when we grow up, I will marry you, right?"
I would like to believe that childhood experiences can make Abdullah's ideas less mundane and closer to Waganda. I hope Abdullah can support and love Waganda as he did when he grows up, and achieve real happiness together.
At the end of the film, Waganda competes with Abdullah on a bicycle. Waganda won. More importantly, she won her freedom.
write at the end
Although "Wajda" is Saudi Arabia's first film, the acting skills of both young actors and adults are very natural and brilliant, and the story is also very complete. Rather than depression, I see more of the warmth between people.
The characters in the film are also more three-dimensional, not black and white. No matter how traditional women are, there are times when they disagree with society’s constraints on women; some men don’t respect women at all, and some silently help women to resist, and some like Waganda’s father are still trapped by the world even if they love their wives and daughters. of.
"Waganda" presents a mild protest. It reminds women to learn to fight for their due rights in bondage, and also tells us that equality requires not only the strength of women, but also the support of men. Abdullah and the grocer in the film are such male representatives.
Of course, gender equality aside, the message of Waganda still applies to everyone—
I hope you who have dreams can break through the prejudice and doubts of others and become your favorite look.
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