Saudi film ‘Wadjda’ to be screened in Doha

The Saudi award-winning film, ‘Wadjda,’ directed by Haifaa Al-Mansour, will be screened at Doha Film Institute’s (DFI) year round series, Hekayat Khaleejiya. The three-time Venice Film Festival award winner will be screened on April 4 and 5 at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) auditorium.
The two screenings will be followed by an extended question-and-answer session with director Al-Mansour.
‘Wadjda,’ the first full-length Saudi feature film to have been entirely shot in the Kingdom with an all-Saudi cast, won the award for the ‘Best Arabic Film’ at the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) in December last year.
The film also fetched the best actor award for its young actress, Waad Mohamed, who won rave reviews for her outstanding performance in the movie in the “Muhr Arab” Feature category at the festival.
‘Wadjda’ was produced by Rotana, a leading entertainment company owned by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, along with Razor Film, and High Look Group.
The film is a tale of a girl’s quest to own a bicycle in the Kingdom. When Wadjda sees a beautiful green bicycle for sale, she wants it desperately but her mother won’t allow her to have it, fearing repercussions from society, so Wadjda decides to raise the money herself. Just as she is losing hope,Wadjda hears of a cash prize for a Qur’an recitation competition at her school.
The visitors to the screening venue will also have a chance to meet Al-Mansour.