Aflam Sudan x Hayy Cinema

Join us this month at Hayy Cinema for a special co-curated programme with Aflam Sudan, a traveling film festival founded by Rafa Renas and Brahim Snoopy. This collaboration brings a selection of powerful independent documentaries and fiction films that explore the resilience, identity, and experiences of Sudanese communities.

The screenings, complemented by discussions, provide insight into personal and collective memories, highlighting art as a means of survival and reflection. Beyond film, the weekend includes live readings, performances, and talks that delve into cultural memory and the transformative role of art during times of conflict.

Experience the power of Sudanese art and stories that inspire, connect, and spark conversations at Hayy Cinema from November 28 to December 1st.

Meet Aflam Sudan

Ibrahim ‘Snoopy’ Mohammed is a director, producer and co-founder of Aflam Sudan, a festival celebrating Sudanese cinema. As the visionary behind Deep Visions Productions, he is passionate about unique storytelling and has received critical acclaim from film festivals worldwide for his documentary ‘Journey to Kenya’ amongst several other projects.

Rafa Renas is a filmmaker, producer and co-curator of Aflam Sudan. She produces for international media outlets and delivers cross-media campaigns promoting civil society engagement, equality and gender issues. Rafa was also a guest curator for the segment Revolutionary Tales at the Twin Cities Arab Film Festival in 2024. 

The Film Programme

Feature Documentary

 An informative and beautiful archival view of women’s history in Sudan.

Heroic Bodies: Sudanese women have been denied the right to their own bodies for the entire Modern Age, withstanding brutal and fathomless forms of oppression. This feature documentary explores Sudanese women’s diverse forms of struggle and resistance.

Director: Sara Suliman

Country: Sudan Year: 2022

Language: Arabic Subtitles: English

Virtual Q&A with filmmakers on November 30th screening.

Short Films

One ticket to watch 4 short films!

A nostalgic and lyrical coming of age tale in Northern Sudan

A Handful of Dates: A spirited young village boy must learn the painful truth behind his grandfather’s fortune, and another farmer’s inevitable demise in this short fiction film.

Director: Hashim Hassan

Country: Sudan Year: 2019

Language: Arabic Subtitles: English 

Virtual Q&A with filmmakers on November 29th screening.

An inside look at a fresh new wave of creative expression in Sudan

In Search of HipHop: Straight out of Khartoum comes a short film featuring a collection of young men who call themselves Hip Hop Artists. With a recent boom in live performances and visiting DJs and MCs from Europe and the USA the Hip Hop fire is really catching on in the city of two Niles. This short documentary features live performances, spur of the moment freestyling and footage from the first Sudan Boombox live DJ party in spring of 2010.

Director: Israa El Kogali

Country: Sudan Year: 2010

Language: Arabic Subtitles: English

Virtual Q&A with filmmakers on November 29th screening.

A journey filled with determination, resilience and hope

Journey to Kenya: Award winning short documentary that tracks the journey of the MTC martial arts team, which decides after a civil revolution that occurred in Sudan (2018-2019). Facing lack of state support and weak financial means, ambitious athletes found themselves forced to travel by land from Sudan to Kenya through Ethiopia to participate in an international championship in order to raise the name of Sudan high in international sports forums and to solidify the art of Jiu-Jitsu in Africa.

Director: Ibrahim Snoopy

Country: Sudan Year: 2020

Language: Arabic Subtitles: English

Virtual Q&A with filmmakers on November 28th screening.

The Salon:  This short documentary tells the story of a unique beauty salon in Khartoum which hides a secret; it doubles as an underground space for women in danger. Run by the charismatic Abeer who herself fled domestic abuse, the salon is a space where women who are ‘on the run’ arrive from across Sudan seeking advice, sanctuary and pathways. It also does fabulous hair and nails.

Director: Rafa Renas

Country: Sudan, France Year: 2023

Language: Arabic Subtitles: English

Virtual Q&A with filmmakers on November 28th screening.