Sudan, Remember Us
by Rachel Willis
“Each time one revolutionary falls a thousand others stand up!”
Sudan has appeared in the news off-and-on for years. The region has been plagued by coups, civil war, terrorism, genocide, and oppression of anyone who dared resist the regimes in power.
It’s poignant for Hind Meddeb to name her documentary Sudan, Remember Us, as she forces our attention once again to a region plagued by war and uncertainty.
A bit of history may be helpful for those unfamiliar with situation in Sudan. The coup that overthrew the 30-year rule of President Omar al-Bashir in 2019 was meant to lead to democratic, civilian rule. But the military council set up to act as a transitionary government has not released its hold on the citizens of the Sudan. The film assumes a certain knowledge, but even without any historical knowledge, it’s clear what the people want and who they resist.
For several young activists and artists living in Khartoum, the fight for democracy is a daily battle. Meddeb drops us into the realities of a sit-in, a form of civil disobedience. She lets several men and women speak to why they demand change. They discuss the best ways to protest, to keep fighting when those in power want to break them.
The footage of the sit-in is juxtaposed with a military crackdown, accompanied by scenes of chaos. Gunshots, explosions, and beatings are caught on camera phones, many wielded by the perpetrators of the violence. It’s a disturbing reaction to the peaceful nature of the sit-in.
The scenes of viciousness help underscore the words of the protestors who speak to the importance of continuing to oppose the military government. They recite poetry, sing songs, march, and find as many ways as they can to register their disapproval with the situation as it stands.
The ways in which Meddeb allows these young men and women to open up, sometimes addressing her directly, creates an intimacy between the audience and the participants. The film does as much as it can to make us feel like we’re witnessing history as it unfolds, even as the result remains uncertain.
It’s a powerful testament to the importance of film (and art in general) in the making of history.
