'Sudan, Remember Us' Weaves a Complex Cinematic Portrait of Art and Activism

[cbabe]

https://southseattleemerald.org/arts-culture/2025/08/15/sudan-remember-us-weaves-a-complex-cinematic-portrait-of-art-and-activism

'Sudan, Remember Us' Weaves a Complex Cinematic Portrait of Art and Activism

Jas Keimig
Published on:
Aug 15, 2025, 3:35 pm

"We have endured the worst humiliations / Oh people, let's break the silence! / Or does that make you uneasy?"

A young Sudanese woman chants these poetic lines in Arabic in the opening minutes of Hind Meddeb's documentary Sudan, Remember Us, among fellow protesters in Sudan's capital, Khartoum. The doc begins in the spring of 2019 during a massive sit-in protesting the repressive regime of President Omar al-Bashir, with protesters demanding democracy in the country. al-Bashir ruled over Sudan for 30 years, during which the country experienced genocidal violence against millions in Darfur, Blue Nile, and Kordofan, as well as limitations on free speech.

Sudan, Remember Us, which screens at The Beacon Cinema on Aug. 17 and 18, follows the political and social turmoil in Khartoum from 2019 to 2022, a period that led to the 2023 civil war in Sudan that continues to impact the country today. The film focuses on a disparate group of Sudanese artists and activists committed to seeing their dreams of democracy come to life. Their stories are woven together to form a complex portrait of a fragile, violent moment for the country during which military coups and forced internet blackouts disrupt the movement for deep reform. At times, it's a harrowing watch as the fog of oppression envelopes many of the film's subjects, but art emerges as both a tool and a light leading the way.

For 57 days in 2019, protesters of all ages set up camp outside al-Bashir's army headquarters in Khartoum, peacefully calling for him to step down, reciting poetry to one another, eating, and making art. Sudan, Remember Us places viewers right in the middle of that action, capturing moments of hope and inspiration from the city's youth who yearn for democracy.

But on June 3 that year, the protest was violently interrupted when the nation's army massacred at least 120 protesters and sent many to prison for their beliefs. Shaky phone footage, posted by military personnel to social media, provides a glimpse into those horrific moments against Sudanese protesters.

… more … premiered at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival … ‘very rich country which is why there is a war’…

[JustAnotherGen]

1. Thank you

Sudanese and Ukrainians deserve our sympathy and empathy and outrage at what they are enduring.

"We put just a little bit in to make people realize the level of violence this military is capable of," said Meddeb in a recent interview. "We still don't know how many people were killed that day, especially because there were homeless people and people coming from other regions without papers."

"It's not just poetry for beauty. Here in Europe or America, we can say poetry is for the love of the world," said Meddeb. "No, [in Sudan] it's a question of life or death. It's poetry to survive and also to keep memories alive and the people who died alive."