Sudanese Film Group shorts program

In the late 70s and early 80s, a group of filmmakers who were then working in the Ministry of Culture's film department published the magazine Cinema. In April 1989, Suliman Elnour, Eltayeb Mahdi, and Ibrahim Shaddad founded the Sudanese Film Group (SFG) in order to operate more independently from the state. Their goal was to be involved in all aspects of film production, exhibition, and teaching, and to maintain Sudanese people's passion for cinema. The Sudanese military coup of June 30, 1989 ended all cultural endeavors, and civil society organizations were banned. But in 2005, the state's tight grip was loosened and the SFG was able to re-register. The Berlin-based Arsenal—Institute for Film and Video Art digitally restored works by these Sudanese filmmakers in 2018.

It Still Rotates (1978)
Dir. Suliman Elnour
19min, DCP
In Arabic with English subtitles

Suliman Elnour’s graduation film, It Still Rotates, describes everyday life in a school in Yemen at the time of its making.

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A Camel (1981)
Dir. Ibrahim Shaddad
14min, DCP

The short film A Camel by Ibrahim Shaddad illustrates the story of a camel's life, most of which takes place in a small, dark room: a sesame mill.

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The Rope (1984)
Dir. Ibrahim Shaddad
32min, DCP

The Rope documents the journey of two blind men through the desert, accompanied by a donkey. Connected by a rope, the two set their own path at times, and sometimes the donkey leads them.

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The Station (1989)
Dir. Eltayeb Mahdi
16min, DCP

Set in Sudan in the late 80s, The Station depicts people crossing the desert on foot or traveling long distances in cars and trucks. Eltayeb Mahdi shows encounters at one of the major crossroads between the capital, Khartoum, in the center of the country and Port Sudan on the Red Sea.

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The Tomb (1977)
Dir. Eltayeb Mahdi
22min, DCP
In Arabic with English subtitles

The Tomb tells the story of a man who claims to be able to heal people.