A still from “Sudan, Remember Us,” which premieres at Gateway Film Center Friday. Credit: Courtesy of Isabel Hoffman
Hind Meddeb’s “Sudan, Remember Us” will premiere in Columbus at Gateway Film Center Friday at 5:30 p.m. The documentary takes viewers into the Sudanese revolution against the country’s authoritarian regime and includes testimonies of activists involved in the protests.
Through the lens of her camera, Meddeb is able to capture and feature the humanity within those suffering. Beginning with the April 2019 sit-in at Sudan’s Army headquarters in Khartoum, which lasted 57 days, Meddeb offers a look into the revolution through Shajane, Muzamil and Maha — three activists who revolt using artistic expression. The documentary puts viewers into their shoes and feelings of passion and immense patriotism, despite the state of their home.
The content of the film is not easy to digest, but it is undoubtedly necessary to see. Understanding what the people of Sudan have been through and still go through now is heartbreaking. Through that suffering, however, the drive for change only increases. The people come together in numbers, all fighting for the same cause — a government controlled by the people, not the military or a dictator. They’re fighting for a democracy; they want their voices to be heard.
It feels like a page ripped right out of real-life and that’s because it is. This film is more than just a documentary, it’s a need for awareness and humanity. Meddeb introduces you to the Sudanese people during times of unity, showing pride in their country and sticking up for what they need. This introduction is met with abrupt and devastating shifts in tone — when the people at the sit-in are attacked, beaten, killed and arrested for desiring change, the once-lively community is met with an eerie silence.
Scenes of the once-packed streets turn to destitute paths of disheveled cars and lone wildlife. The silence is deafening yet it also speaks volumes.
Yet, the international media does not cover Sudan to the extent that it should be covered. For years, those who have spoken in opposition of the militant regime have had their voices oppressed. They’ve been killed and arrested fighting for basic human rights — rights that others may take for granted.
That is precisely what makes “Sudan, Remember Us” so important to watch. These horrific attacks are flying under the radar. Meddeb takes the viewer directly to the frontlines, telling the story of the people through their creative expressions. A large portion of the film belongs to spoken word performances, rap songs and murals lined with paintings of the revolutionaries who have given their lives to the cause.
“I won’t go home, I want my rights!” is exclaimed during a chant at the sit-in.
The camera work is grounded and nothing feels scripted or unnatural. Often, civilians would throw up peace signs or wave at the camera as they walked by. As they entered the sit-in, people stopped to proudly display their signs of protest and the messages they carried, many of them boasting wide grins.
Then, you realize that those same people are being shot, thrown into cuffs or ripped away from their loved ones. The people who once dreamed of turning their country into a fair and just democracy where everyone is heard and represented.
The footage of the militant attacks are also recorded by the civilians involved. The attack on the sit-in — which took place June 3, 2019, the last night of Ramadan — was in part viewed through the perspective of a soldier.
Following the coup, it was moving to see the way the attacks only made the civilians more determined to abolish the regime. Several people throughout the film state their motivation to continue is so those lives lost were not lost in vain; they didn’t die for nothing. Civil disobedience led people to create brick barricades impeding militant vehicles and rebel against the oppressive state.
“Their blood will not have flowed for nothing. Death will not separate us,” one civilian said in the film.
You don’t have to understand global politics to understand the premise of “Sudan, Remember Us.” It’s exactly as the title states — the people of Sudan have fought for their freedom for years to no avail, with millions forced into exile an hundreds of thousands of deaths. Yet, there is an astounding silence from the external world when it comes to their suffering.
The message is simple. Remember the people of Sudan who have fought through their words, art and wisdom to achieve a country that is fair to its people. Sudan is a poor nation, rich in minerals, taken advantage of by people in power. A population stripped of their rights, families uprooting their lives to receive the freedoms that others disregard.
It’s to remember the people who have given their lives to make those of others better. “Sudan, Remember Us” is eye-opening, upsetting and motivational all at the same time. It’s a true story of human resistance, combatting unjust governmental regimes and an ongoing conflict that everyone should be aware of, regardless of where they are in the world.
The ending is again met with that uncomfortable silence and a closing statement that brings chills to the viewer. It’s a moment to sit quietly and grapple with the atrocities you’ve seen before urging others to educate themselves on the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
To purchase tickets, visit Gateway’s website.
Rating: 5/5
