UW Mini Indie Film Festival Day 3: “Omar” and “Wadjda”

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The four-day Mini Indie Film Festival at the Union South Marquee continues with a full day of movies. All are free and open to the public.

Gudu” (5 p.m.) — Three sisters live in a remote Chinese village, their parents nowhere to be seen. This documentary shows their struggle to care for themselves under such unforgiving conditions.

Wadjda” (7 p.m.) — My full review is here. The first film ever made in Saudi Arabia, where cinema is banned, by a female director, where women are not permitted to drive. But this film is a joy, following a plucky 11-year-old girl who will do anything to earn enough money to buy a new bike, even try to win a Koran competition at her restrictive school. In a very subtle way, “Wadjda” celebrates the spirit of independence and self-reliance in its title character, suggesting it lies just below the surface of so many of the country’s women, ready to blossom.

“Omar” (9:30 p.m.) — My full review is here. This harrowing thriller follows a Palestinian teenager who gets nabbed by Israeli intelligence for the murder of a border guard. Forced to turn informant, Omar tries to outwit the Israelis and triple-cross them, but the game is rigged against him.

Borgman” (midnight) — It’s like the dark side of “Down and Out in Beverly Hills,” as a vagrant moves in with an upper-class family and proceeds to upend their lives with a calculated campaign of intimidation.

 

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