As part of its Special Presentations lineup, the El Gouna Film Festival will feature these restored masterpieces from October 13-20, 2023.
The sixth edition of the El Gouna Film Festival will screen restored short and medium-length films from the Sudanese Film Group. Scheduled for October 13-20, 2023, these cinematic gems will grace the festival’s ‘Special Presentations’ section.
Directed by esteemed auteurs Suliman Elnour, Eltayeb Mahdi, and Ibrahim Shaddad, these films have undergone a meticulous restoration process by the Arsenal – Institut für Film und Videokunst in Berlin.
Speaking about the long and constructive association that GFF has had with films and filmmakers from Sudan, Intishal Al Timimi, Director of GFF, said: “When Marianne came to me with this proposal, I welcomed it with open arms. The El Gouna Film Festival has long fostered a vibrant connection with Sudanese cinema, marking a journey that began in 2018 with Marwa Zein’sKhartoum Offside, as a project in development. In 2019, GFF celebrated the poignant storytelling of Sudan with Amjad Abu Alala’s You Will Die at Twenty, which won the El Gouna Gold Star in the Feature Narrative Competition. The same year witnessed the recognition of Talking About Trees directed by Suhaib Gasmelbari, earning the El Gouna Gold Star for Best Film in the Feature Documentary Competition, thus completing a Sudanese cinematic sweep. I should mention that Gasmelbari also won the Variety MENA Talent of the Year, a prestigious award that is given annually by Variety at GFF. Our pride extends to our association with Mohamed Kordofani’sGoodbye Julia, recipient of the 2020 CineGouna Platform Award and several other prestigious honours as a participant of CineGouna SpringBoard 2020. This October, GFF will proudly present the MENA premiere of Goodbye Julia in addition to this remarkable programme.”
Marianne Khoury, Artistic Director, GFF added: “Coincidentally, as we were planning this programme, we learnt that the filmmakers were present in Cairo, seeking refuge from the recent surge of violence and turmoil in Khartoum. This convergence of circumstances further underscored the urgency and importance of providing a platform for their voices to be heard.”
The Sudanese Film Group emerged in 1989 with a steadfast mission to uphold the enlightening power of cinema amid the shadows of darkness. Dedicated filmmakers, disillusioned by the constraints of state-sponsored filmmaking in Sudan, aspired to carve a new path for creative expression and cinematic exploration. Despite a political upheaval that led to a decade-long hiatus, the Arsenal Institute for Film and Video Art’s diligent work has resurrected these films. They shed light on ingenious narratives and metaphorical richness nearly lost to history.
The program will showcase a range of films, including Afrika, Džungli, Baraban | Revoljucija by Suliman Elnour; Al Dhareeh | The Tomb by Eltayeb Mahdi; Al Habil | The Rope by Ibrahim Shaddad; Al Mahatta | The Station by Eltayeb Mahdi; Arba’a Marat Lil Atfal | Four Times for Children by Eltayeb Mahdi; Jagdpartie | Hunting Party by Ibrahim Shaddad; Jamal | A Camel by Ibrahim Shaddad; and Wa Lakin Alardh Tadur | It Still Rotates by Suliman Elnour.
These meticulously restored films embody the indomitable spirit of the Sudanese Film Group and their commitment to cinematic art.
