“It’s not just a sad story from Africa. It’s not a reportage for CNN and the BBC. It’s real people with real dreams, with real hopes, that live in the most current of situations.”
Speaking over Zoom with his fellow directors, Sudanese filmmaker Timeea Ahmed is explaining the essence of Khartoum, a unique collective documentary project, which is premiering at this year’s Sundance Film Festival in Utah on Monday.
Following the lives of five citizens of the Sundanese capital, Khartoum began very differently. In 2021, making a film for UK newspaper The Guardian, British filmmaker Phil Cox encountered an organisation called the Sudan Film Factory.
“There was a new generation of Sudanese filmmakers with talent, ideas, energy,” explains Cox. “But they had no access to tech, no access to materials.”
Cox formulated a plan to work with the Sudan Film Factory, with selected filmmakers asked to create “non-narrative cinematic poems” dedicated to Khartoum, shooting material on their iPhones. Ahmed began filming Jawad, a Resistance Committee Volunteer. Fellow director Rawia Alhag filmed Lokain and Wilson, youngsters who collect plastic bottles for cash; Anas Saeed shot Khadmallah, a mother-of-one and tea stall owner; and Brahim Snoopy filmed civil servant and pigeon enthusiast Majdi.
Then, in April 2023, a civil war broke out in Sudan as the Rapid Support Force militia fought against the government led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. “Everything was lost,” sighs Cox, who was overseeing the project. Escaping to Kenya, the filmmakers joined the 10 million displaced Sundanese residents who lost their homes during the conflict. But despite being uncertain where the subjects of their films now were, they refused to give up.
“The idea of continuing became an act of resistance,” says Cox. “It became an act of affirmation of survival. As filmmakers, we don’t know if this film will succeed or not, but it can be a document. It can be something that is active for them to do, in their way, to fight back.”
Naturally, the tone of the film changed. “You can’t be living in war conditions without touching on that,” reasons Snoopy.
Months later, the filmmakers regrouped with the participants, initially getting them into therapy sessions. “Because someone seeing lot of dead bodies, a lot of atrocities in front of them on a daily basis, will impact them on a longer term,” says Snoopy.
With everyone gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, the directors began the second phase of filmmaking – one that helped turn Khartoum into a highly unusual documentary. As Khadmallah, Majdi and the others began to reflect on the terrible experiences they’d been through, the filmmakers took a left-field tack. Unable to film in Khartoum, they shot the participants in front of a green screen, an ideal solution to get them to tell their harrowing survival stories.
“We had to find a way to tell our participants’ stories in a creative way, where we let the audience experience what they’ve experienced during war,” says Snoopy.
Often, each subject would “act” in another’s story, in what became something akin to experimental theatre. “Of course, war affects everyone on so many levels,” adds Saeed. “And this staged re-enactment also played a huge role in healing all of us. It wasn’t easy on all of us. Some of us really became emotional during that. We cried – the directors and participants – because it’s not easy.”
While the filmmakers and their subjects escaped, they’re in constant contact with those still in Sudan. Alhag notes that in Khartoum, there is a group called the RC – the Resistance Community – to help people find food. “Even outside of Khartoum, people are doing these kind of initiatives,” she says. “We are still connected to Khartoum. We are still communicating with everyone there.”
With the film premiering at the Sundance festival in the World Documentary category, Khartoum’s journey is all about raising awareness. Screenings are scheduled in Washington DC and New York, where the team will present the film to the US Congress and the United Nations, before taking it to the Berlin Film Festival in February. “There’s a new Sundanese cinema arriving – and you’re looking at it,” says Cox.
Snoopy hopes audiences will walk away with more knowledge about what's happening in Sudan, and also that they will donate via the film’s website, khartoummovie.com.
“But also on a smaller level, just a simple retweet, a simple share, a simple comment, would mean a lot to us, because that will show that our message is being heard and seen,” he says.
Or as Saeed adds: “We need to say, ‘Don’t give up'.”
While it would be all too easy to present Khartoum as a dour film, the subjects all have hopes and dreams. The boys who collect bottles dream of seeing a lion one day, while Jawad is shown – via green screen – floating over Los Angeles as he heads towards Hollywood. There are more realistic dreams too. “We still have the hope of going back,” says Alhag. “And that’s not just my dream or Anas’s or Timeea’s or Snoopy’s. This is the whole Sudanese dream.”
Khartoum premieres at the Sundance Film Festival on Monday
Results
Stage three:
1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-43
2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s
3. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s
4. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s
5. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s
6. Mikkel Bjerg (DEN) UAE-Team Emirates, at 24s
General Classification:
1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-13-02
2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s
3. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin Fenix, at 12s
4. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s
5. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s
6. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results
Male 51kg Round 1
Dias Karmanov (KAZ) beat Mabrook Rasea (YEM) by points 2-1.
Male 54kg Round 1
Yelaman Sayassatov (KAZ) beat Chen Huang (TPE) TKO Round 1; Huynh Hoang Phi (VIE) beat Fahad Anakkayi (IND) RSC Round 2; Qais Al Jamal (JOR) beat Man Long Ng (MAC) by points 3-0; Ayad Albadr (IRQ) beat Yashar Yazdani (IRI) by points 2-1.
Male 57kg Round 1
Natthawat Suzikong (THA) beat Abdallah Ondash (LBN) by points 3-0; Almaz Sarsembekov (KAZ) beat Ahmed Al Jubainawi (IRQ) by points 2-1; Hamed Almatari (YEM) beat Nasser Al Rugheeb (KUW) by points 3-0; Zakaria El Jamari (UAE) beat Yu Xi Chen (TPE) by points 3-0.
Men 86kg Round 1
Ahmad Bahman (UAE) beat Mohammad Al Khatib (PAL) by points 2-1
Men 63.5kg Round 1
Noureddin Samir (UAE) beat Polash Chakma (BAN) RSC Round 1.
Female 45kg quarter finals
Narges Mohammadpour (IRI) beat Yuen Wai Chan (HKG) by points.
Female 48kg quarter finals
Szi Ki Wong (HKG) beat Dimple Vaishnav (IND) RSC round 2; Thanawan Thongduang (THA) beat Nastaran Soori (IRI) by points; Shabnam Hussain Zada (AFG) beat Tzu Ching Lin (TPE) by points.
Female 57kg quarter finals
Nguyen Thi Nguyet (VIE) beat Anisha Shetty (IND) by points 2-1; Areeya Sahot (THA) beat Dana Al Mayyal (KUW) RSC Round 1; Sara Idriss (LBN) beat Ching Yee Tsang (HKG) by points 3-0.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THREE
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh12 million
Engine 8.0-litre quad-turbo, W16
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch auto
Power 1479 @ 6,700rpm
Torque 1600Nm @ 2,000rpm 0-100kph: 2.6 seconds 0-200kph: 6.1 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHigh%20fever%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EIntense%20pain%20behind%20your%20eyes%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESevere%20headache%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ENausea%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EVomiting%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESwollen%20glands%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ERash%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIf%20symptoms%20occur%2C%20they%20usually%20last%20for%20two-seven%20days%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
The Porpoise
By Mark Haddon
(Penguin Random House)
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
Top 10 most polluted cities
- Bhiwadi, India
- Ghaziabad, India
- Hotan, China
- Delhi, India
- Jaunpur, India
- Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Noida, India
- Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- Peshawar, Pakistan
- Bagpat, India
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
FIXTURES
Thursday
Dibba v Al Dhafra, Fujairah Stadium (5pm)
Al Wahda v Hatta, Al Nahyan Stadium (8pm)
Friday
Al Nasr v Ajman, Zabeel Stadium (5pm)
Al Jazria v Al Wasl, Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium (8pm)
Saturday
Emirates v Al Ain, Emirates Club Stadium (5pm)
Sharjah v Shabab Al Ahli Dubai, Sharjah Stadium (8pm)
PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
IPL 2018 FINAL
Sunrisers Hyderabad 178-6 (20 ovs)
Chennai Super Kings 181-2 (18.3 ovs)
Chennai win by eight wickets
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
