‘Khartoum’ Sparks Pride Among Sudanese Community at Doha Film Festival, Says Director

Doha, Qatar; November 28, 2025: A screening of the feature documentary Khartoum at Doha Film Festival captivated and inspired unity and pride among the local Sudanese community.

One of the film’s directors, Rawia Alhag, was filled with pride at the sight and commented, “The audience’s reaction after watching the film was so important. Despite the negative impact of the war, the Sudanese people remain united,”.

The film initially began as an intimate portrait and a poem to the city of Khartoum. But it was abruptly transformed by the outbreak of war, forcing its creators and subjects to flee to Kenya. The film’s participants were then able to reenact their escape by using greenscreens, alongside animations and archival footage.

Alhag lamented over the lack of widespread global media coverage of the war in Sudan, leaving a gap to be filled by the arts: “Filmmakers have a responsibility to preserve memory and seed hope, and the future of Sudanese cinema is going to reflect the current events.”

Despite tragedy, director Ibrahim Snoopy Ahmad admired the film’s ability to unite the Sudanese diaspora. “It can serve as therapy. We were all forced into exile, and that loneliness can leave you in a bad state. Whenever people watch the film, they don’t feel left out anymore. Someone is telling their story and urging the world to act.”

Director Philip Cox, who said the film had started with a call-out to new talents in Sudan, commented on being forced into a new direction: “Our subjects came from different backgrounds – from a bureaucrat to two street boys. Before the war, they would have never met. Now they are both part of one story.” He added, “It’s creative and poetic cinema, but it’s also urgent cinema and a call to action.”

Khartoum is directed by Ibrahim Snoopy Ahmad, Timeea Mohamed, Rawia Alhag, Philip Cox, and Anas Saeed.