Sudanese Cinema breakthrough: Goodbye Julia to compete in Cannes

(SOURCE: STATION FILMS / MAD SOLUTIONS)

This marks the first time a Sudanese film will compete in the section, highlighting the growing strength of Sudanese cinema in recent years.

Goodbye Julia is a Sudanese drama that centers around Mona, a retired singer from northern Sudan trapped in an unhappy marriage. Mona is wracked with guilt after covering up a murder, and to make amends, she takes in the widow of the deceased, Julia, who hails from South Sudan, along with her son Daniel.

The film stars Eiman Yousif, Siran Riak, Nazar Goma, and Ger Duany and is written and directed by Kordofani.

It is produced by Station Films’ Amjad Abu Alala, acclaimed Sudanese filmmaker, who directed Sudan's first-ever Academy Award submission, You Will Die at Twenty, in collaboration with Mohamed Al-Omda.

Despite Sudanese films' increasing presence at Cannes over the past years, none have competed for a major award until now. However, Sudanese films have been recognized at the Cannes Critics Awards for Arab Films, where Talking About Trees won the Critics Award in 2020. Additionally, Sudan's rising presence in terms of topic and production was also evident in 2022, with The Dam, a film co-produced by Sudan, being nominated for the Golden Camera award. The film focuses on the Sudanese people's rise against Omar Al-Bashir.

In fact, Abu Alala's You Will Die at Twenty is one of the most celebrated Sudanese films of recent years, yet it did not participate in the Cannes Film Festival's competitive segments.

Similarly, Kordofani has made a name for himself as a talented Sudanese filmmaker, with his short film Nyerkuk winning the Black Elephant Award for Best Sudanese Film, NAAS Award for Best Arab Film at the Carthage Film Festival, Jury Award at the Oran International Arab Film Festival, and Arnone-Belavite Pellegrini Award at the FCAAA in Milan.

Additionally, Kordofani's second short Kejers Prison was screened during the Sudanese revolution at the sit-in square in front of thousands of protesters, and his documentary A Tour in Love Republic was the first pro-revolution film to be broadcast on Sudan's national TV.

Goodbye Julia is co-produced by a team of international and Sudanese producers and filmmakers, including Baho Bakhsh and Safei Eldin Mahmoud from Egypt, Khaled Awad from Sudan, Michael Hendricks from Germany, Marc Irmer from France, Faisal Baltyuor from Saudi Arabia, Mohamed Kordofani from Sudan, Issraa Elkogali Häggström from Sudan and Sweden, and Ali El Arabi and Adham El Sherif from Egypt.

While it marks the first time in Sudanese cinema history for a film to premiere in Un Certain Regard, a competitive segment of the Cannes Film Festival, Sudanese cinema has already made significant international impact.

Even though Sudanese filmmakers and productions have been present in Cannes over the past few years, none of their films have competed for one of Cannes' major awards, let alone in the Un Certain Regard segment.

However, Sudanese films have had a good presence at the Cannes Critics Awards for Arab Films, an annual competition held at the margins of the Cannes International Festival. In 2020, the Sudanese documentary Talking About Trees directed by Suhaib Gasmelbari won the Critics Award.

Organized by the Arab Cinema Centre (ACC), the Critics Awards bring together the finest film critics from all over the world to select the best Arab films, with the awards ceremony taking place at the Cannes Film Festival every year.

Sudan's rising presence in terms of topic and production was also evident in 2022 when The Dam directed by Lebanese Ali Cherri received a nomination for the Golden Camera. The film is co-produced by Sudan and focuses on the Sudanese people's rise against Omar Al-Bashir.

Short link: