A documentary by Ahmed Abdel Mohsen
Sudan, Switzerland, Egypt, approx. 75 min
In Production
Frustrated
by decades of oppression and isolation by the Islamic military
regime, a group of young Sudanese artists wants to organise an
international cultural festival in a village in the middle of the
desert in northern Sudan: Karmakol – Open Sudan. But the
governmental authority under Omar Al Bashir opposes their plan and
forbids their project by all means. Against all odds, the festival
team is not willing to give up and fight for their „Open Sudan“
until almost the end of their strength.
While
the young team practices civil disobedience, the elderly artist Adel
sceptically observes the development of the preparations. Like an
African storyteller telling a dream, he guides with his gentle voice
through the film.
The
festival became a great success with thousands of participants and
was to take place for the second time in winter 2021. But the
military coup on 25 October 2021 destroyed all preparations. With the
devastating war that broke out in April 2023, all hope - including
that of cultural opening - has died for a long time.
What
remains is the dream of "Karmakol again" and hundreds of
young Sudanese who carry and pass on their cultural experiences from
Karmakol.
With Adel
Kbeida, Aliaa Sir el Khatem, Mia Bittar, Abdallah Othman, Riham Abo
Obiada
A
production of donkeyshot film production (Switzerland), Open Sudan
(Sudan), Fekra Studios (Egypt)
Karmakol International Festival on Instagram
