Das Mädchen Wadjda (2012)

Das Mädchen Wadjda: Directed by Haifaa Al-Mansour. With Reem Abdullah, Waad Mohammed, Abdullrahman Al Gohani, Ahd. An enterprising Saudi girl signs on for her school’s Koran recitation competition as a way to raise the remaining funds she needs in order to buy the green bicycle that has captured her interest.

“This romantic comedy is probably one of the very few to focus on the dissolution of relationships.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eUsing the format of interview segments spliced with flashbacks, several stories unfold: older woman seduces younger man; professor pursues student; extremely attractive woman pairs with insecure man, etc.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eShowing the views of the two partners back to back reveals how the same events can look differently to the two participants. The juxtaposition is revealing, and quite funny in several instances. At a screening in Philadelphia, viewers were asked whether the film seemed optimistic or pessimistic. The nearly evenly divided response seems exactly what writer-director Eric Assous intended.”