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Wadjda (2012)

Published: 17 Mar 2021

Curriculum links: This case study can be used for those studying 'Component 2: Global Film: Narrative, Representation and Film Style - Non- English Language Film' on the GCSE WJEC / Eduqas specification.

Wadjda is an uplifting story about a young Saudi Arabian girl who steadfastly defies the social and cultural rules of her community in order to make her dreams of owning and riding a bike happen. The film is directed by Haifaa Al-Mansour, the first female director to make a film in Saudi Arabia, and offers a female perspective on life in the country, as told from the point of view of a young girl.

The film was submitted to the BBFC for classification with a PG category request.

This is quite commonplace and it can be helpful to the compliance process to get an understanding of what age rating the company is looking for in advance of viewing the content for classification. It means that our expert film raters can be mindful of any particular changes that would be necessary to achieve a lower age rating.

Whilst we aim to support the film industry as much as possible during the classification process, for example by offering advice viewings, all our age rating decisions are based on the standards set out in our Classification Guidelines . These are informed by research we carry out with thousands of people all over the UK. Therefore, if a distributor requests a certain age rating it does not necessarily mean that age rating is guaranteed if it doesn’t meet our guidelines at the particular category requested.

Wadjda is rated PG for mild sex references.

Classification Issues

Sex references

The film includes implied sex references, particularly to women and girls having what could be considered, in the context of Saudi Arabian culture, ‘inappropriate’ contact with men and boys. There are ongoing references to a woman being seen in a private space with a man that is not her husband, and there’s a scene in which Wadjda agrees to pass a note from an older teenage girl to her boyfriend so that they can spend time together. In another scene, two girls are seen drawing on their ankles and get caught by their headmistress who, it’s implied, believes them to be engaging in sexual contact. Wadjda’s mother expresses concern that it may appear as if Wadjda has lost her virginity if she rides a bike, although this is only very discreetly implied in dialogue. There are also several references to adultery and to Wadjda’s dad taking a second wife.

Most of the sex references occur within the wider context of the film’s exploration of the ways in which women and girls’ lives are affected by the cultural, religious and social norms of Saudi Arabia. As such, the sex references are reflective of the film’s wider themes of gender inequality and sexism.

In 2012, at the time of classification, BBFC Classification Guidelines stated that in principle, “there is no reason why most themes, however difficult, could not be presented in a manner which allows classification at 18 or even, where suitable, at lower levels. Classification decisions are likely to be less restrictive where difficult themes are handled in a reassuring and age appropriate manner, or where there is a positive outcome”. This tenet is still central to how we classify films today.

Although the verbal sex referencing and themes of the film are potentially challenging for younger audiences to understand, the exploration of these issues are handled with sensitivity and dealt with in an age appropriate manner. In part, this is because the film has a child protagonist which forces the audience to experience the world of the film from her more innocent and naive perspective. This also means that the audience is shielded from some of the potentially more distressing forms of discrimination and inequality that other characters in the film may face.

The film is resolutely upbeat in tone and ends in a reassuring manner that not only reconciles the protagonist with her mother, but also offers hope and joy in the final frames as we see Wadjda and her male friend, Abdullah, riding their bikes together in public. This uplifting ending offers sufficient counterbalance to the darker aspects of the film’s narrative and contributes to the accessibility of the feature to children aged 8 and above, which is the youngest age we recommend our PG age rating for.

Discussion points

The film is rated PG for mild sex references. Do you agree with the age rating and content advice? Justify your response using our guidelines as a reference.
The film deals with some challenging themes. To what extent do you think the film’s positive and reassuring ending mitigates these darker aspects of the story? How do you think viewers are likely to feel at the end of the film? Do you think children will interpret the ending differently compared to older viewers?
Do you think telling the story from Wadjda’s perspective adequately addresses the cultural and societal issues that the filmmaker is trying to highlight? Would you prefer the film to go into more detail about these issues even if doing so resulted in a higher classification?