A cinematic reflection on Sudan's past and present through the Voices and Visions of Sudan programme

The question of Sudan, its identity, and the issues of equality and equity in the region are the central themes of Voices and Visions of Sudan – A Cinematic Reflection. Curated by Talal Afifi, a Sudanese producer, curator, and cultural activist, the season will travel up and down the UK this October. It promises to grapple with Sudan's past and present through a programme of films spanning different genres and generations.

Among the selection, presented by the Almas Art Foundation, Aya Films and Maona Films, are Hind Meddeb's Sudan, Remember Us, a 2024 documentary exploring the aftermath of Sudan’s revolution, and how music, protest, and youth activism emboldened collective hope and resilience; Frédérique Cifuentes's Cinema in Sudan: Conversations with Gadalla Gubara, a 2008 tribute to the pioneering filmmaker; Hussein Shariffe's The Dislocation of Amber, a 1975 short meditation on ruins, silence, and identity in postcolonial Sudan; and Mia Bittar's 2017 narrative feature Iman, which centres on four diverse Sudanese men and women drawn into radicalisation.

"The films had to be artistically strong, and we have Sudanese directors in Sudan, Sudanese directors from the diaspora, and third-generation immigrants to Sudan who are now Sudanese, like Mia Bittar," Talal tells The New Arab from his home in Dublin.

"We also have Tunisian director Hind Meddeb, but what the films have in common is that they touch and interact through Sudanese characters, whether they are fiction or non-fiction, with questions of identity, the post-colonial solutions and resolutions – what are we going to do?"

The showcase of Sudanese cinema arrives just two years and six months after civil war reignited between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF), causing significant collateral damage to its population.

According to Global Conflict Tracker, more than 150,000 people have been killed, with more than 14 million displaced, making it one of the worst crises of displacement in the world.

"I know that there is a lot of debate about cultural events and that Sudanese people need more peace agreements and more focus on politics," Talal says.

"I agree with all that, but I want this programme to remind people that the Sudanese problem, in its essence and its spirit, is cultural."

Who shall be known versus who shall not be known

Talal was born in Germany to an Egyptian mother and a Sudanese father. He ran the Sudan Film Factory for a decade out of Khartoum until he moved to Ireland in 2023 because of the war. Still, he continues his work of cultural programming and engagement to show the world what his home country is facing.

"These films cover a range of eras and shed light on different practices of production and different styles in Sudan since the 70s until now," he explains. "Not only do they look at how Sudanese independent filmmakers have managed to bring their films to screens and finish their projects, but also bring up the questions and the case of Sudan now. We are in a war. So discussing films, discussing books, and discussing different cultures in Sudan is something very essential in this time."

Sudanese film, as with Palestinian cinema, Talal says, is a powerful tool that can cut through the noise of politics, war and genocide to humanise the people who are suffering.

"Some directors say they don't want to make a political film, but there is no film which is not political – every film, every artwork, is political," he says. "These films are about victims, yes, but they are also films about strength. These people are not numbers; they have names, every one of them has hobbies, has different lives, memories, dreams, sins and love."

But the crisis in Sudan has not received the same widespread attention as the Palestinian struggle against Israel. Talal believes that it is because "the Palestinian issue has the DNA of all the problems we have in the world."

He explains: "It's fighting against a religious state, masculinity, international corporations and discrimination, but it's not about the Palestinians themselves, it's about who is on the other side – their enemy is someone who everyone is concerned about."

He also points to the aesthetic image of the conflicts in Ukraine and Palestine compared to Sudan, Namibia and Zanzibar, which are "not so close to Central European beauty," he argues.

"We are beautiful, but we are not the standard. So maybe this is the measurement of who shall be known and who shall not be known."

Ultimately, the programme aims to raise awareness of the diverse cultural experiences of the Sudanese people, both past and present, through films that depict joy and resistance, while invariably spotlighting the individuals in Sudan and the humanity behind its borders.

Voices and Visions of Sudan – A Cinematic Reflection runs from October 16th–December 2025 (with screenings continuing into early 2026) at venues in Hertford, Edinburgh, London, Aberfeldy, Glasgow, Dundee, and more

Hanna Flint is a British-Tunisian critic, broadcaster and author of Strong Female Character: What Movies Teach Us. Her reviews, interviews and features have appeared in GQ, the Guardian, Elle, Town & Country, Mashable, Radio Times, MTV, Time Out, The New Arab, Empire, BBC Culture and elsewhere

Follow her on Instagram: @hannainesflint