The vitals:
7:00 ~ Doors
7:30 ~ Not Your Belly Dancer: WADJDA

The mythology of Wadjda can sometimes overshadow the film’s tight script and the phenomenal performance by its young lead. In 2012, women in Saudi Arabai were not allowed to socialize with men in the street, so Haifaa al-Mansour had to direct her young cast out of the back of a van into a walkie-talkie. No woman had made a feature film in Saudi Arabia before, but al-Monsour knew she had to tell this quaint tale of a little girl and a bicycle.

Full of spunk and the desire for childhood freedom, Wadjda (played by first-time actor Waad Mohammed), comes of age in the city of Riyadh. Growing up alongside her mother, she comes to terms with way the world around her isn’t made for her. But when she and her bike don’t fit in, she chooses to ride anyway. Since Wadjda’s release, many more Saudi women have had the opportunity to make films in the light of day, some even with the country’s backing. 

-Emily Basma

SEE YOU AT THE MOVIES
🔮