Projects in development
Sudan Revolution Stories
Synopsis
After 30 years of religious and military dictatorship and a lengthy civil war, on April 11, 2019, the Sudanese brought about the fall of tyranny. Shajan, Rufaida, Maha, Samah, Hamza, Al Tahir, Sabri. These are some of the faces of this Sudanese revolution. Following the struggle of ordinary citizens to realise their dreams of freedom, equality and change, Sudan Revolution Stories documents the transition from military dictatorship to civilian government in Sudan, amid fierce repression and early political victories.
Les Mangroves (France)
Lou Jomaron
lesmangroves.contact@gmail.com
Echo Films (France)
Abel Nahmias
Director’s statement
This project was born out of my discussions with the main character of my previous film, Souleymane, 21 years old, survivor of the genocide in Darfur and poet, now a refugee in France. From the first protests in December 2018 until the fall of dictator Omar Al Bashir on April 11, 2019, we have remotely followed the rise of the Sudanese popular uprising. Driven by his desire, I made the trip to Khartoum where I was able to film the last twelve days of the democratic sit-in held in front of the Ministry of Armies to demand the handover of power to civilians. There, I met those who will be the characters in this film, young ordinary citizens who act locally to bring about the society they dream of, united and tolerant, freed from the military and religious yoke. Seized by the immense courage of these Sudanese who opposed a peaceful movement to a genocidal army, I immediately felt the urgency to make this film.
Biographies
Hind Meddeb grew up between France, Morocco and Tunisia. From this circulation through cultures and languages, she has developed a singular view of the Arab and African worlds. Between 2011 and 2013, she directed Electro Chaabi (2013) and Tunisia Clash (2015), two documentaries about musical creation as a revolutionary act. Her most recent film, Paris Stalingrad (2019), recounts the journey of refugees who arrive in Paris and are reduced to survival in makeshift camps. The film was selected for numerous festivals, among them Cinéma du réel, the Toronto and Palm Springs International Film Festivals and CPH:DOX, and received two awards at New Zealand’s Doc Edge Festival.
After studying Art History and Film Production, Lou Jomaron moved into the field of Documentary and Research Cinema. From 2015 to 2017, she worked for Spectre Productions, a company specializing in artist’s films and documentary essays. Then she worked as a production coordinator, before joining the Fund for Creative Documentary (FAIA) of the French National Center for Cinema, for a year and a half. Since July 2019, she has been collaborating with several companies in different production positions. At the same time, she co-founded the company Les Mangroves, dedicated to cinematographic creation, listening to the real and the contemporary world.
€262 169
€67 000
CNC (aide au scénario long-métrage), private benefactor
Early 2021, Sudan, Khartoum and Darfour
2022
Corproducer from the MENA region and/or Europe, International sales
