The girl Wadjda

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Movie
German title The girl Wadjda
Original title Wadjda (وجدة)
Country of production Saudi Arabia , Germany
original language Arabic
Publishing year 2012
length 97 minutes
Age rating FSK 0
JMK 0
Rod
Director Haifaa Al Mansour
script Haifaa Al Mansour
production Gerhard Meixner's
novel Paul
music Max Richter
camera Lutz Reitemeier
cut Andreas Wodraschke
occupation

The girl Wadjda ( Arabic وجدة, DMG Waǧda ) is the first feature film by the Saudi Arabian director Haifaa Al Mansour and the first full-length film ever to be directed by a Saudi Arabian. The feature film won several film awards around the world and was considered a “little sensation” at the 2012 Venice Film Festival .

content

Wadjda is an 11-year-old girl in Riyadh , the capital of Saudi Arabia. Her parents seem wealthy. B. PlayStation or an illegal foreign driver for the huge pick-up on the way to school. She enjoys various freedoms in her life that many of her classmates in the strictly Islamic country do not seem to know. She listens to western rock music on the radio or wears Converse trainers and jeans under her traditional robe and is generally not easily intimidated by her surroundings.

Wadjda dreams of owning the beautiful green bike that she sees every day in front of a toy store on her way to school. To ride and win a bike race against her friend Abdullah, a boy from the neighborhood, is her greatest dream. However, it is considered improper for girls to ride a bike, and Wadjda's mother forbids her daughter to do so too. The woman tries to prevent her husband, who wants a son, from taking a second wife . Wadjda, who learns that her name is not listed in the traditionally male family tree, sets out against it to earn her own money for her bike. B. Mixtapes and gives the mediator for a classmate and her friend. The headmistress keeps a keen eye on her and, because of Wadjda's unconventional attitude towards traditional values ​​and rules, she never misses opportunities to discipline her. While she officially upholds the strict religious rules, it is an open secret among the schoolgirls that the burglar in the headmistress' house was more likely to be her lover.

After flying up their business decides Wadjda, at a Koranic verse - recitation competition to participate, because the grand prize is 1000  SR in cash, which would allow the girl to buy the dream bike. Wadjda's ability to memorize Quranic verses impressed her teachers. But when she wins the competition and announces that she intends to buy a bike with the prize money, she shocked her classmates and especially the teachers; the headmistress interrupted her and made it clear that because girls were forbidden to ride bicycles anyway, it would be better and more sensible to donate the prize money to Palestine. With this announcement by the headmistress, this is officially decided: The school will transfer the money, and Wadjda has no way of raising objections or claiming her right.

When she gets home, she only finds her father waiting for her mother. Before her father leaves the house, he asks her to tell the mother that he loves her. After falling asleep waiting for her mother and waking up in the evening, she finds her mother on the roof of the house; she explains to Wadjda that the big celebration in the neighborhood is about the wedding of Wadjda's father to his new second wife. When the girl tries in vain to comfort her mother and give her courage, she shows her daughter the green bike that she has bought for her. She paid for it with the money she actually wanted to spend on a new red dress in order to be more attractive to Wadjda's father than potential second wife candidates - a purpose that has now become obsolete. Instead, she wants to make sure that her beloved daughter is missing for nothing and that all of her wishes are fulfilled. In the end, Wadjda wins the now possible race against her friend Abdullah and sets off on her own path into “the big wide world” - symbolized by the main road, which she reaches with her bike without seeing anything of Abdullah.

production

The film was produced by Roman Paul and Gerhard Meixner, who both worked with their Berlin production company Razor Film on the realization of the Oscar- nominated films Paradise Now and Waltz with Bashir . The co-producer in Saudi Arabia was Amr Alkahtani, who, thanks to his contacts in the kingdom, was also able to obtain the approval from the Ministry of Culture, which is essential for the film. Alkahtani also produces series for Saudi television with his High Look Group. The film received significant support from NDR (editorial staff Christian Granderath ), BR (editorial staff Bettina Ricklefs ) and the Saudi broadcaster ROTANA. Funding was provided by the Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA), the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg (MBB), the Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (MDM) and the Babelsberg Film Fund (ILB).

The entire film was shot in Saudi Arabia on the original locations. Despite the existing permit, working on the film was often difficult due to the strict gender segregation in the country. For example, the filming on the street was partially interrupted by the religious police monitoring public life , as the director was shooting with a mostly male crew . In order to avoid further delays, Al Mansour sometimes directed the production via monitor and walkie-talkie from the difficult-to-see production car. The sequence of the shooting, like all of life in the country, was determined by the rhythm of the Islamic prayer times , when public life in Saudi Arabia comes to a standstill five times a day.

The film could not be shown to a cinema audience in Saudi Arabia until the end of 2017, as cinemas were banned there until then. To visit the nearest cinemas, those interested in film in Saudi Arabia go to neighboring countries such as Bahrain or Kuwait . The success of the film is cited as one reason why the ban was announced in November 2014. Other reasons are commercial interests and it is discussed that access to modern entertainment should make Saudi Arabia's youth less vulnerable to religious extremists.

Reviews

"A wonderful tragic comedy, which in its witty story hides clear criticism of the regime and openly advocates the rights of girls and women."

- femundo

“In general, the ambivalence of the film is Al-Mansour's greatest merit: the film does not curry favor with a Western audience by simply demonizing religious institutions and values, nor does it shy away from taking up potentially risky topics for Saudi Arabia and accusing double standards. Nevertheless, Al-Mansour always remains within the ideological frame of reference, presumably not least because of Saudi censorship requirements. […] 'Das Mädchen Wadjda' is the impressive debut of a filmmaker who, despite considerable resistance, knows how to develop a cinematic language appropriate to her complex topic. "

- Tim Lindemann : White Lightnin 'film blog

“A powerless wife and a girl who is not allowed to ride a bike - isn't that a hackneyed, expected plot for a film from Saudi Arabia? For sure. But al-Mansur does not stop there. Rather, it shows that the image of the woman oppressed by the man falls short. With the help of mother and daughter, she gradually crochets the complex network of relationships, characterized by unequal power relations, in which her two protagonists move. "

- Jannis Hagmann : Qantara

“Even if the approaches to a story of emancipation are rather cautious, Haifaa Al Mansour succeeds, thanks to the naive perspective of little Wadjda, in revealing the absurd short circuits of Saudi culture. To European viewers - the film is a German-Saudi co-production and has so far only been shown in the West because of the completely lacking cinema culture in Saudi Arabia - Wadjda looks like a defiant head from a children's book who doesn't want to stop asking: Why? "

- Critic.de

“An abundance of everyday observations gives an impression of life in the Arab country. [...] As Haifaa Al Mansour puts an irresistibly lively girl in the spotlight with Wadjda, the film gains a lightness that it can use. His story is actually pretty bitter. In addition to anger over the myriad injustices and restrictions, there is a growing sense of anxiety. The surveillance of girls and women extends into the most intimate areas. […] The Koran quotes, which play a central role in the story, are likely to be aimed primarily at the Arab audience. When Wadjda's mother recites the verses, they exude truth and beauty. But the film deliberately leaves open whether the Koran also speaks to Wadjda or whether it is just a means to an end. "

- Martina Knoben, Süddeutsche Zeitung

“'The girl Wadjda' is full of everyday observations that make it possible to experience a hermetically sealed cosmos. It is this internal perspective that makes the film so exciting. He does not curry favor with the West and avoids gestures of indignation. Mansur simply shows what it means to live as a woman in Saudi Arabia. "

- Oliver Kaever, Der Spiegel

“Despite all the degradation and rejection, 'Das Mädchen Wadjda' does not show women as victims. Rather, small tricks, great tricks and freedoms are portrayed lovingly and with humor that they take anyway. Al Mansour's heroines are not revolutionaries. It's about showing what is, even if this everyday life is completely incomprehensible to us. […] Al Mansour leaves the assessment to the viewer. He dives into a strange, strange world in which the desires for recognition and love, for self-determination and emancipation are ultimately the same as their own. "

- Katharina Grimm, Stern

“Al Mansour staged the street scenes from a caravan on a video screen; a woman directing a male crew in the open air was unthinkable. The finished film is not an indictment. He insists that showing injustice leads to silent outrage and constant change. "

- Hanns Georg Rodek, Die Welt

“Haifaa al-Mansour's feature film 'The Wadjda Girl' is one of the most important and disturbing film releases of the year. Because here a filmmaker from Saudi Arabia tells about women's life, about the everyday restrictions, taunts and reprisals - whereby 'The Wadjda Girl' opens our eyes with two stories, on the one hand the one about the script and on the other hand the one about the production self."

- Thomas Klingenmaier, Stuttgarter Zeitung

“Mansour's film tugs at ancient traditions. The bicycle becomes a symbol of resistance and the liberation of a little girl. Wadjda does not give up and runs against the prejudices of a patriarchal society in which the oppression of women is cemented. Mansour shows us her world of narrow conventions. "

- Katrin Moser, 3 sat

Awards

reception

The children's book The Girl Wadjda by Haifaa Al Mansour, translated by Catrin Frischer, was published by cbt in autumn 2015 . Roswitha Budeus-Budde called Wadjda “the strongest girl in children's literature” in autumn 2015.

The novel received the DJLP 2016 in the children's book category .

literature

Haifaa Al Mansour, Catrin Frischer (translation): The girl Wadjda. , cbt Munich, 2015, ISBN 3570163784 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Certificate of release for the girl Wadjda . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry , June 2013 (PDF; test number: 139 479 K).
  2. ↑ Age rating for the girl Wadjda . Youth Media Commission .
  3. ↑ a b 3sat .de: Contradictory Reality. Haifaa Al Mansour's film "Wadjda" September 10, 2012, accessed August 31, 2013
  4. ↑ a b wadjda-film.de: Koch Media: First press information on the theatrical release of Das Mädchen Wadjda ( memento of the original from September 21, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 170 kB), accessed on August 31, 2013 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.wadjda-film.de
  5. ↑ a b c Die Zeit : Under the Eyes of the Religious Police , from May 24, 2012, accessed on August 31, 2013
  6. ↑ torinofilmlab.it: Amr Al Kahtani , accessed on August 31, 2013
  7. ↑ kinofenster.de: Female living spaces in Das Mädchen Wadjda , from August 7, 2013, accessed on August 31, 2013
  8. ^ Spiegel: Saudi Arabia lifts cinema ban
  9. ^ Frankfurter Rundschau: Saudi Arabia allows cinemas , November 10, 2014
  10. ↑ femundo.de: Everyday life in Saudi Arabia , accessed on May 12, 2018
  11. ↑ wlfilms.de: The girl Wadjda from Haifaa Al-Mansour: Fahrradliebe , accessed on August 26, 2013
  12. ↑ de.qantara.de: In the middle of the adult world , accessed on September 15, 2013
  13. ↑ Film review on Critic.de
  14. ↑ A little sensation. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung . September 5, 2013, accessed October 6, 2013 .
  15. ↑ "The Wadjda Girl": Cycling for the Revolution. In: Der Spiegel . September 3, 2013, accessed October 6, 2013 .
  16. ↑ The film that shouldn't even exist. In: Stern . September 7, 2013, accessed October 6, 2013 .
  17. ↑ Learning the Koran suras for a mint green bicycle. In: The world . September 4, 2013, accessed October 6, 2013 .
  18. ↑ Under the thumb. In: Stuttgarter Zeitung . September 4, 2013, accessed October 6, 2013 .
  19. ↑ Hope is feminine. In: 3sat . September 2, 2013, accessed October 6, 2013 .
  20. ↑ labiennale .org: Collateral Awards of the 69th Venice Film Festival ( Memento of the original from August 26, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed on August 31, 2013 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.labiennale.org
  21. ↑ filmfest-muenchen .de: Peace Prize of German Films - The Bridge ( Memento of the original from August 19, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed on August 31, 2013 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.filmfest-muenchen.de
  22. ↑ Roswitha Budeus-Budde: No more recipes. Children's and young people's literature on the move. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung , Rn. 277, December 1, 2015, supplement literature, p. 15.