The Sudanese film Goodbye Julia by director Mohamed Kordofani won the Cinema for Humanity Award (Audience Award) at the sixth edition of El Gouna Film Festival, bringing the film’s tally to 21 international awards. This is the seventh audience award the film has won, and the third consecutive award the film has received in a week, having recently received the Best Film Award from the Africamera African Film Festival in Poland, and the Talent of the Year Award in the Middle East, presented by Variety magazine to Mohamed Kordofani in recognition of his achievement in his first feature film.
The award was received by the three stars, Seran Riak, Iman Youssef and Nizar Jumaa. Commenting on the film’s win of the audience award at the El Gouna Film Festival, Kordofani said, “I am grateful and thankful that the film Goodbye Julia won the audience award at the El Gouna Film Festival. This award, which bears the name of humanity, is a tribute to a film made by young people whose souls are saturated with the December Revolution and its glorious values. He added, “This win comes as Sudanese people around the world, including these young people, are refugees and displaced persons whose country is being torn apart before their eyes, and is witnessing a war that threatens the lives of millions of innocent people.” He continued, “It is our collective responsibility to stop this war and its supporters immediately. The Sudanese people do not deserve what is happening to them, and they are capable of rebuilding once the destruction stops, as this film’s journey has shown. I appeal to you in the name of humanity not to ignore what is happening in Sudan and Gaza, and let us now be a unified voice calling for freedom, peace and justice.”
The events of Goodbye Julia take place in Khartoum before the secession of the south, where Mona, a northern woman who lives with her husband Akram, causes After the murder of a southern man, she appoints his wife Julia, who is looking for him, as a maid in her house and helps her in an attempt to cleanse herself of guilt.
The film is directed and written by Mohamed Kordofani and stars the theater actress and singer Iman Youssef and the famous fashion model and former Miss South Sudan Seran Riak. The film also stars veteran actor Nizar Juma and Geir Duini, and is filmed by Pierre de Villiers, edited by Hiba Osman, sound engineer Rana Eid and costume design by Mohamed El Mar.
Goodbye Julia’s awards record includes: Excellence Award and Best Acting Award for its star Iman Youssef from the International Muslim Film Festival in Toronto, Audience Award at the Mostra Arab and Mediterranean Film Festival in Catalonia, Best Film Award from the Belfast Film Festival, two awards from the War on Screen Festival in France (Press Award, Audience Award), three awards from the Paysages de Cinéastes Festival (Journalists’ Jury Award, Women’s Jury Award, Audience Award), and Best African Film at the Septimus International Awards. This journey began at the Cannes Film Festival, where it hosted its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section, where it won the Freedom Award.
Published December 22, 2023.
