What's the secret of a country, which lacks elements of the film industry, being present in major global events, while another country with a cinema history of more than 120 years can't provide a single honorable representation? Here, I speak about Sudan, which this year participates in the most important international festival, the 76th Cannes Film Festival, with the film "Goodbye Julia" in the "Un Certain Regard" category. Soon, it will become the talk among filmmakers and critics at the festival taking place from May 16 to 27. "Goodbye Julia" is the first feature film from Sudanese director Muhammad Kordofani. It portrays the story of Mona, a retired singer from North Sudan, who covers up a murder before attempting to rebuild her life by hosting Julia, a widow of a victim from South Sudan, in her home.

The film will also be among the choices for the El Gouna Film Festival in its sixth edition, according to the festival director Intishal Al Timimi who said: "Screening 'Goodbye Julia' in El Gouna this year fills us with joy. Muhammad Kordofani is a talented director who has made a strong film that invites reflection. Its echo will reverberate to audiences all over the world. We are happy to present it to our audience and to be part of its journey."

Thus, international festivals are interested in what Sudanese cinema produces, which of course isn't the first time. The recent years have witnessed stunning experiments, led by director Amjad Abu Alala's "You Will Die at Twenty" which participated in more than thirty Arab and foreign festivals, and made a significant impact. By the way, Amjad Abu Alala is one of the important young directors, producer of "Goodbye Julia", and winner of the "Lion of the Future" award at the Venice Film Festival 2019 for his film "You Will Die at Twenty". He is considered as one of the effective names in the Arab cinema scene.

Sudanese cinema has presented a series of experiences in the past five years that have made a significant impact, including films like "Talking About Trees" by Suhaib Gasmelbari, and "The Six" by Suzannah Mirghani.

Despite the challenging circumstances including lack of funding, actors, climate, and even most of the elements of cinema industry by standards that make international festivals seek, accept, and participate in major competitions such as "Un Certain Regard". Amid such circumstances, rising talents emerge with local ideas from Sudanese reality as was the case in "You Will Die at Twenty" which presented a film about ancient customs and traditions in Sudan, and "Goodbye Julia" from Southern Sudanese reality. All these are original works, not adapted, imitated, copied, or purely commercial like what is the case in Arab films in Egypt and other countries.

This raises an important question... what if Egypt, for example, participated with a film in the "Un Certain Regard" section this year, it would have been a celebratory event. But we are far from fictional participation, while Tunisia participates with the film "Alfa Girls" starring Hend Sabri, written and directed by Kaouther Ben Hania, in the official competition that we missed, and we are no longer even able to find a film to nominate for the Oscar competition as happened last year. Not to mention the participation of Morocco with two films "Mother of Lies" and "The Herds" by Kamal El Azraq, and Jordan "If God Wills, A Boy", and Egypt's name is mentioned for the participation of actor "Amir El-Masry" in the film "Club Zero" by director Jessica Hausner.

Hence, the cinema of Sudan is making remarkable strides, even in challenging circumstances. These achievements are a testament to the exceptional talent and resilience of Sudanese filmmakers. This rising success challenges the conventional wisdom and suggests that the capacity for quality filmmaking does not rely solely on resources and infrastructure, but on the vision, creativity, and determination of filmmakers to tell their stories. These stories, deeply rooted in Sudanese reality, are not merely imitations or commercial ventures, but original works that reflect the unique perspectives and experiences of the Sudanese people.

The international recognition of Sudanese cinema, as demonstrated by its inclusion in major festivals like Cannes, and the El Gouna Film Festival, highlights the global appetite for diverse, authentic storytelling. It also raises important questions for the larger Arab film industry, which has struggled to achieve the same level of representation and acclaim in international cinema. The success of Sudanese cinema provides a valuable lesson and model for other countries in the region.