Window to Renewed Hope
Fri 28 JunSAFAR Film Festival has invited Talal Afifi, founder of Sudan Film Factory and Sudan Film Festival in Khartoum, to curate Sudanese Cinema: Unfinished Journeys – Endless Dreams, two evenings dedicated to showcasing Sudanese films spanning from the 1970s and 1980s to contemporary works reflecting the aftermath of the 2019 revolution.
The strand begins with Window to Renewed Hope, a selection of contemporary shorts from Sudan followed by a panel discussion providing essential context on Sudanese cinema, its formative years, and the socio-political landscape surrounding film production in Sudan.
See also the second screening and discussion in this strand, A Visit To Vanguard Cinema, here.
Panel discussion
The screenings will be followed by a panel discussion with directors Khalid Ali, Phil Cox and Erica Carter, chaired by Talal Afifi
Programme
Nyerkuk, 2016, directed by Mohammed Kordofani
After having lost his father in an air raid Adam, a ten-year-old boy, is forced to flee to the capital city, Khartoum. To survive, he becomes a skillful burglar, the best and the most envied. Things become complicated when Adam decides to free himself from his boss and turn over a new life.
A Handful of Dates, 2019, directed by Hashim Mohammed
Inspired by a short story originally published in Arabic in 1964, this narrative unfolds in Central Sudan. Through the eyes of a young boy, the film explores a critical moment of awareness as the boy’s admiration for his grandfather diminishes upon witnessing the mistreatment of Masood, for whom the boy feels a resemblance.
Al-Sit, 2021, directed by Suzannah Mirghani
Set in a Sudanese cotton-farming village, this short narrative revolves around 15-year-old Nafisa, torn between her crush on Babiker and her arranged marriage to Nadir. Nafisa’s grandmother, Al-Sit, holds sway over the village and has her own plans for Nafisa’s future, posing the question of whether Nafisa can make her own choices.
Bricks of Life, 2020, directed by Razan Abdel Rahman
Sheds light on the plight of displaced Sudanese women due to war and local brick factory workers. It offers a glimpse into the pains and dreams of these women amidst what can only be described as daunting circumstances.
The ‘Spider-Man’ of Sudan, 2022, directed by Phil Cox and Rafa Renas
Set in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, this short documentary follows an anonymous protester who dresses as Spider-Man amidst hundreds of thousands of demonstrators striving to defend their fragile civilian government following a military coup in October 2021.
We’re offering a 20% discount when people buy tickets to three films within the festival.
The eligible films are:
- Life is Beautiful
- Dirty Difficult Dangerous
- The Mother of All Lies
- Wedding in Galilee
- Six Feet Over
- Window to Renewed Hope
The discount automatically applies at the checkout once people put three tickets in their basket.
See also