MAD Solutions debuted Thursday the official trailer for Sudanese director Mohamed Kordofani’s upcoming drama "Goodbye Julia", the first Sudanese picture and director to be selected for the Cannes Film Festival in history.
The footage arrives ahead of its premiere at Cannes on May 20 at 2 pm at Théâtre Claude Debussy.
"Goodbye Julia" follows the story of Mona — a northern Sudanese retired singer in a tense marriage — who is wracked by guilt after covering up a murder.
In an attempt to make amends, she takes in the deceased’s southern Sudanese widow, Julia, and her son, Daniel, into her home.
Unable to confess her transgressions, Mona decides to leave the past behind and adjust to a new status quo, unaware that the country’s turmoil may find its way into her home and put her face to face with her sins.
The film stars Eiman Yousif, Siran Riak — the former Ms. South Sudan — Nazar Goma, and Ger Duany.
"Goodbye Julia" is written and directed by Kordofani, and produced by Station Films’ acclaimed Sudanese filmmaker Amjad Abu Alala — the director of Sudan’s first-ever submission to the Academy Awards "You Will Die at 20" — in collaboration with producer Mohamed Al-Omda, who co-produced Yemen’s Berlin International Film Festival selection "The Burdened".
A true example of Arab-European collaboration, "Goodbye Julia" is also co-produced by Baho Bakhsh and Safei Eldin Mahmoud (Red Star Films), Michael Henrichs (Die Gesellschaft), Khaled Awad and Mohamed Kordofani (Klozium Studios), Marc Irmer (Dolce Vita), Faisal Baltyuor (Cinewaves Films), Ali El-Arabi (Ambient Light), Adham El-Sherif (CULT), and Issraa Elkogali Häggström (RiverFlower).
Additionally, MAD Solutions is handling the Un Certain Regard contender’s worldwide sales, while the French distributor ARP Sélection - Le Cinéma que J'aime is handling distribution in France.
ARP Sélection is known for various prominent films, such as EO — which premiered at Cannes and won the Jury Prize — Oscar-winning movie The Whale, Nostalgia, Brighton 4th, and Beau Is Afraid.
Previously, "Goodbye Julia" won MAD Solutions’ Grant Award at the CineGouna SpringBoard that was held at the fourth El Gouna Film Festival, Best Film Project in the Development Phase ($15,000), a certificate from the El Gouna Cinema Platform, a Mentorship Prize from the IEFTA, and the New Century Prize ($10,000).
It also won the Malmö Arab Film Festival’s award for Best Project In Development and received financial support from Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Fund, the Paris Region, ARRI, and Film und Medienstiftung NRW.
Kordofani is a Sudanese filmmaker whose short film "Nyerkuk" won the Black Elephant Award for Best Sudanese Film, NAAS Award for Best Arab Film at the Carthage Film Festival, Jury Award at the Oran International Arab Film Festival, and Arnone-Belavite Pellegrini Award at the FCAAA in Milan.
His second short "Kejer's Prison" was screened during the Sudanese revolution at the sit-in square in front of thousands of protesters, and his documentary "A Tour In Love Republic" was the first pro-revolution film to be broadcasted on Sudan's national TV.
His last film was "This is SUDAN", which was commissioned by Sudan’s former prime minister Abdallah Hamdok to promote Sudan's potential for investment.
Contributed by Yara Sameh
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