A large turnout for the Sudanese film ``Civilian`` in the Greek capital

Moatinoon
Yesterday, Sunday, the Greek capital witnessed the screening of the Sudanese documentary "Civilian," which documents the events of the Sudanese December Revolution. Approximately 250 Sudanese, Greeks, and Europeans attended the screening, which took place in a Greek organization hall in the Exarchia neighborhood of central Athens, with the participation of director Mohamed Sabahi, who attended especially for the occasion.

The 75-minute film explores the daily lives and dreams of three Sudanese citizens from diverse cultural and social backgrounds who believed in the popular movement for a civilian state and participated in the demonstrations and sit-in in front of the army headquarters, which was forcibly dispersed.

This screening marked the first time a Sudanese film has been shown to a Greek and European audience, who enthusiastically interacted with the film through chants and open discussions with the director.

The audience also heard the testimony of a young Sudanese woman who participated in the demonstrations via a live online broadcast.

The attendance of more than 60 Sudanese refugees, newly arrived in Greece after the war, drew attention. They came from a camp far from Athens specifically to participate, recalling their personal experiences during the revolution.

The screening included traditional Sudanese dishes sold as donations, the proceeds of which will be donated to support an oncology hospital in Khartoum.

With the encouragement of the management of the Malakasa refugee camp (80 km from Athens), a second screening of the film is scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, the first cultural event of its kind organized by the refugees themselves and attended by the director.

"Civilian" was previously screened at the Sheffield DocFest Film Festival in the United Kingdom (June 2024), one of the worlds most influential documentary festivals.