Wadjda

Last night Christine and I watched Wadjda, a terrific movie about a ten-year-old Saudi girl who becomes obsessed with getting a bicycle. Amazon's spooky good recommendation software suggested this to Christine and the movie trailer convinced us to drop a few bucks on the instant video rental.

Wadjda is the first movie to be shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and it's in Arabic with English subtitles (yeah, you'll have to cope with reading if, like me, you don't speak Arabic but the movie is so compelling you'll just roll with it.)  Wadjda is a very spunky kid and watching her cope with a society that is, to western eyes, very oppressive, is fascinating. In Saudi Arabia women are not allowed to drive, so you can imagine how they feel about Wadjda wanting a bike.

Wadjda is a great hero. She's smart, loyal, resourceful. A great role model for anybody, anywhere in the world. And by the way, the bike stuff in the movie is great. Christine and I both highly recommend Wadjda.