Film

The first narrative feature made by a Saudi woman director, Haifaa Al-Mansour’s powerfully simple neorealist fable tells the story of a headstrong 10-year-old girl’s quest to buy a bicycle—and assert her independence—in a society that frowns upon expressions of individuality. Defying patriarchal oppression in both its subject and very existence, Wadjda is a fearless cri de coeur that announced the arrival of a bold new directorial voice.

On his way home from New York, German journalist Philip finds himself saddled with an unexpected traveling companion in nine-year-old Alice, the beginning of an odyssey that will take the pair across Europe in search of her family. Working in luminous black and white, Wenders and cinematographer Robby Müller capture a host of everyday magical moments: from a Chuck Berry concert to a memorable monorail trip to “blowing out” the lights of the Empire State Building.