Northwestern’s BlackBoard Magazine and Middle Eastern North African Student Association co-hosted a screening of the documentary “Sudan, Remember Us” on Wednesday.
Directed by journalist Hind Meddeb, the film follows youth activists Shajane Suliman, Maha Elfaki, Ahmed Muzamil and Khatab Ahmed as they navigate the social and political turmoil brought about by the 2019 Sudanese revolution and subsequent 2021 military coup.
Medill senior and BlackBoard Creative Director Mariam Cosmos said the screening spotlighted a country that is “largely absent from international coverage.”
“We wanted to facilitate a space where people could learn more about the civil war in Sudan,” Cosmos said. “From there, we can begin steps to take action and show solidarity.”
Addressing around 100 students in the McCormick Foundation Center, Cosmos highlighted that a key message of the documentary was to showcase the “resilience” of the Sudanese people. She also highlighted the value of attending Loyola University Chicago history Prof. Kim Searcy’s Nov. 5 lecture, which covered Sudan’s history from the 1800s to the present, to understanding the film’s subject matter.
After Cosmos’ introduction, the audience applauded as “Sudan, Remember Us” began.
The film opens with scenes of youth activists staging a sit-in to protest then-President Omar al-Bashir’s regime. Meddeb’s footage captures the activists singing revolutionary anthems, painting murals, rapping and reciting poetry.
Cosmos said these scenes characterized the Sudanese youth protest movement as one that expresses political opinion through art.
Weinberg freshman Adonai Yidnekachew said she cried twice while watching the documentary.
“The first time I cried was because of the poetry, and the second time was because I realized that this was actually happening and it made me realize my privilege,” she said.
Medill freshman Anya Weerapana said she attended the screening after her political science professor sent out flyers about the event.
“I love watching documentaries, and one of my friends is Sudanese, so I thought it would be interesting to attend this screening,” Weerapana said.
Cosmos said the BlackBoard chose to screen “Sudan, Remember Us” because it shows the Sudanese people as “actors in their own fate.”
BlackBoard plans to screen additional films highlighting Black global voices and communities engaged in liberation struggles, according to Cosmos.
“The civil war in Sudan has been called the ‘Forgotten War,’ and I think it’s interesting, as a Sudanese person, hearing that, because for those of us in the diaspora that were forced out of our own homes, that is something you never forget,” she said.
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