Production
How long did it take to make the film Wadjda?
Wadjda
Wadjda Contemporary Saudi Arabian female artists Wadjda Haifaa al-Mansour Wadjda
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According to the director Haifaa al-Mansour, it took five years to make "Wadjda". Most of the time was spent trying to find financial backing and getting filming permission, since she insisted on filming in Saudi Arabia for reasons of authenticity. She received backing from Rotana, the film production company of Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. However, she was very interested in finding a foreign co-producer because "in Saudi there are no movie theatres, there is no film industry to speak of and, therefore, little money for investment". After being chosen for a Sundance Institute writer's lab in Jordan, al-Mansour got in touch with the German production company Razor Film, which had previously produced films with Middle-Eastern topics ("Paradise Now" and "Waltz with Bashir"). The production involved co-operation with two German public TV broadcasters, Norddeutscher Rundfunk and Bayerischer Rundfunk. Additional funding came from (FFA, Berlin); Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH (MBB, Potsdam); Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung GmbH (MDM, Leipzig) and Filmfonds Babelsberg (ILB, Potsdam-Babelsberg). Al-Mansour's screenplay was influenced by neorealist cinema like Vittorio de Sica's "Bicycle Thieves", Jafar Panahi's "Offside" or "Rosetta". The final scene recalls the final scene of François Truffaut 's The 400 Blows. Al-Mansour says that the original version of her screenplay was much bleaker than the finished product: "I decided I didn't want the film to carry a slogan and scream, but just to create a story where people can laugh and cry a little." Al-Mansour based the character of Wadjda on one of her nieces and also on her own experiences when growing up. The main themes of the story are freedom, as represented by the bicycle, and the fear of emotional abandonment, as Wadjda's father wants to take a second wife who will provide him with a son. "Wadjda" was filmed on the streets of Riyadh, which often made it necessary for the director to work from the back of a van, as she could not publicly mix with the men in the crew. Often, she could only communicate via walkie-talkie and had to watch the actors on a monitor. This made it difficult to direct: "It made me realise the need to rehearse and to develop an understanding for each scene before we shot it." Waad Mohammed, who plays Wadjda, was a first time actress.
Wadjda, is the first feature film to be made in Saudi Arabia it was directed by a woman. Haifaa Al Mansour, made her debut at the Venice film festival. Her feature film explores the restrictions placed on women in the conservative Islamic kingdom. It took her three years to have the permission and backing to make. It is a Saudi/German co-production, produced by the Berlin-based Razor Film Produktions with support from Rotana Studios. It is the first film entirely shot in Saudi Arabia, documenting the everyday trials and tribulations of a young Saudi Arabian girl, Wadja. It encapsulates her childhood journey opposing social norms and restrictions both at home and school. Al Mansour hoped the film would help to change attitudes towards women and film both within and outside Saudi Arabia. However, the film is yet to be seen in Saudi Arabia until its subsequent television release. Al Mansour claims to have faced a number of challenges casting and filming in a country steeped in conservative attitudes. She aimed to depict the segregation of women in Saudi Arabia. Namely, the fact that women have lower legal status than men, are subject to guardianship laws and are banned from driving. 
Wadjda, an 11-year-old Saudi girl living in the capital Riyadh, dreams of owning a green bicycle that she passes in a store every day on her way to school. She wants to race against her friend Abdullah, a boy from the neighbourhood, but riding bikes is frowned upon for girls and Wadjda's mother refuses to buy one for her daughter. She is distracted by trying to convince her husband not to take a second wife, as Wadjda tries to find the money herself by selling mixtapes, hand-braiding bracelets for classmates, acting as a go-between for a teacher, and through other forbidden activities in the school yard. After running afoul of the strict headmistress, Wadjda decides to participate in a Qur'an recital competition, the SR1,000 cash prize (equivalent of about US$270) of which would allow her to pay for the bike. Her efforts at memorising the verses impress her teacher, but when Wadjda wins the competition, she shocks the staff by announcing her intention to buy a bicycle with the prize money. She is told that the money will instead be donated to Palestine on her behalf. Wadjda returns home to find that her father has taken a second wife, and that her mother has bought the green bicycle from the toy store. Wadjda wins her race against Abdullah. 
Haifaa al-Mansour is the eighth (out of twelve) child of the poet Abdul Rahman Mansour, who introduced her to films by video, there being no movie theaters in Saudi Arabia. One of her favourite actors was Jackie Chan. With her father's encouragement, she studied comparative literature at the American University in Cairo. She later went on to attend film school in Sydney, Australia. She began her filmmaking career with three shorts, "Who? ", "The Bitter Journey", and "The Only Way Out". "The Only Way Out" won prizes in the United Arab Emirates and in Holland. She followed these with the documentary "Women Without Shadows", which deals with the hidden lives of women in Arab States of the Persian Gulf. It was shown at 17 international festivals. The film received the Golden Dagger for Best Documentary in the Muscat Film Festival and a special jury mention in the fourth Arab Film Festival in Rotterdam. Haifaa al-Mansour was a guest at the 28th Three Continents Festival in Nantes, France. Her feature debut, "Wadjda", which she wrote as well as directed, made its world premiere at the 2012 Venice Film Festival; it is the first full-length feature to be shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and through 2013, the only feature-length film made in Saudi Arabia by a female director. "Wadjda" tells the story of an 11-year-old girl growing up in the suburbs of Riyadh, who dreams of owning and riding a green bicycle. The film was backed by Rotana, the film production company of Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. "Wadjda" was selected as the Saudi Arabian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards, which is the first time Saudi Arabia has submitted a film for the Best Foreign Language Oscar. She did not intend that her film work focus on women’s issues, but found them too important to not address. Both "Who?" and "Women Without Shadows" deal with the custom of abaya. She has received hate mail and criticism for being unreligious, which she denies. She does, however, feel that Saudi Arabia needs to take a more critical view of its culture. She also received praise from Saudis for encouraging discussion on topics usually considered taboo. Haifaa al-Mansour has been living in Bahrain for some years with her husband, an American diplomat, and their two children. 
Wadjda () is a 2012 Saudi Arabian–German film, written and directed by Haifaa al-Mansour. It is the first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and is the first feature-length film made by a female Saudi director. It has won numerous awards at film festivals around the world. The film was selected as the Saudi Arabian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated. It was the first time Saudi Arabia submitted a film for the Best Foreign Language Oscar. 