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.

Influenced by Italian neorealism, Wadjda is a heartfelt and charming tale about a child’s conviction against the odds. Both the first woman director from Saudi Arabia, and the first filmmaker to entirely shoot a film there, Haifaa Al-Mansour crafts this delightful hymn to the heft of small battles.