2026-09-30
Suzannah Mirghani's debut feature showcases a compelling portrayal by Rabha Mohamed Mahmoud as a village elder, addressing the enduring impact of British colonialism and issues of women's rights.
"I decide my past," declares a village matriarch in this politically charged and poetic film by Suzannah Mirghani, marking her first feature and making her the first Sudanese woman to direct one. (She had to abandon the original shoot in Sudan after war erupted in 2023, relocating production to Egypt.) The film explores the lingering influence of the British empire, neocolonialism, women's rights, and female genital mutilation. Yet it conveys these themes without diminishing its enigmatic atmosphere and touches of magical realism.
Set in present-day Sudan, village elder Al-Sit (Rabha Mohamed Mahmoud) is a formidable woman not to be challenged. Everyone recalls the tale of how, as a young girl, she drove the British out of town; village children gleefully recount how she killed every single one of them. Is it true? The trauma of her past lies at the heart of the film, and Mahmoud's bewitching performance, both fierce and powerful, is utterly captivating.
