Doha: The feature-length documentary "Khartoum," directed by Ibrahim Snoubi Ahmed, Timia Mohamed, Rawya Alhaj, Philip Cox, and Anas Saeed, was screened at the Doha Film Festival 2025.
The film explores the lives and destinies of its subjects in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, during times of both peace and war. It also features glimpses into the lives of its creators, who were forced to flee to Kenya.
Their escape was later depicted using green screens, animation, and archival footage.
The filmmakers noted the positive reception the screening received and the sense of unity and solidarity it evoked among the Sudanese community and film enthusiasts.
Co-director Rawya Alhaj expressed her pride in the audience's reaction, emphasizing that despite the devastating impact of war, the Sudanese people remained united and resilient.
She noted that the future of Sudanese cinema will change as a result of current events, emphasizing that the weak media coverage of the war in Sudan has left a void that only art can fill, placing a great responsibility on filmmakers.
For his part, co-director Ibrahim Snoubi Ahmed praised the film's ability to unite the Sudanese diaspora, saying, "Film can be therapeutic. We have all been forced into exile, and that isolation can leave a person in a bad state, but every time people watch the film, they don't feel marginalized, because someone is telling their story and pushing the world to act."
Director Philip Cox explained that the film began as a call to discover new talent in Sudan, but the profound transformation imposed by the war has turned it into a creative work that tells the stories of people from diverse backgrounds and serves as an urgent call for positive action.
