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Goodbye Julia

وداعا جوليا

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In the lead-up to the secession of South Sudan, Mona (Eiman Yousif), a well-to-do retired singer from the North, becomes complicit in hushing up the murder of a Southerner at the hands of her overtly prejudiced husband (Nazar Gomaa). Guilt-ridden about her role in catalyzing this turn of events, Mona hires the victim’s unknowing widow Julia (Siran Riak) as her live-in maid in a secret bid at making amends. Whilst a complicated friendship blooms between the two women, the threat of discovery looms ever-present.
Winner of the Un Certain Regard Freedom Prize, Mohamed Kordofani’s artfully composed drama made history this year as the first-ever Sudanese feature to play in Cannes. A sensitive and unflinching examination of the fraught relationship between Sudan’s Arab North and non-Arab South, Goodbye Julia weaves a thoroughly engaging tale of deceit and self-revelation, charting its protagonists’ gradual awakening to the social inequities and inherited legacy of racism that would motivate an entire nation to vote almost unanimously for its separation.

 

Freedom Prize, Un Certain Regard, Cannes 2023

 

A prizewinner in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section, Mohamed Kordofani’s well-performed deep cut into Sudan’s recent history unfolds like a morality thriller.
Variety

 

Media Partner

Director
Cast

Eiman Yousif, Siran Riak, Nazar Goma, Ger Duany, Stephanos James Peter

Credits
Country of Origin

Sudan

Year

2023

Series

Panorama

Language

In Arabic with English subtitles

Film Contact
Content Warning

Graphic Violence, Racial Violence

18+
127 min
Action & Suspense Award Winners Drama Human Rights & Social Justice

Book Tickets

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Credits

Producer

Amjad Abu Alala, Mohamed Omda, Ali Alarabi

Screenwriter

Mohamed Kordofani

Cinematography

Pierre de Villiers

Editor

Heba Othman

Production Design

Issa Kandil

Original Music

Mazin Hamid

Director

Mohamed Kordofani headshot

Mohamed Kordofani

Mohamed Kordofani is a Sudanese filmmaker. His debut feature film, Goodbye Julia, won the Freedom Prize after its International Premiere at the Cannes International Film Festival. For his other works, he has also won the NAAS Award for best Arab film at Carthage Film Festival (JCC), The Jury Award at Oran International Arab Film Festival and The Arnone-Belavite Peligrini Award at FCAAA in Milan.

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