Sudanese film: “Goodbye Julia” in the cinema: Almost like friends

When was the last time you saw a feature film from Sudan? That alone is a reason not to ignore the feature film debut of the Sudanese director Mohamed Kordofani. After all, there are few opportunities to learn in an entertaining way about a region that most of us associate only with war and violence in all its forms. In “Goodbye Julia” we get to know a country full of contrasts; The film tells its dramatic story against the backdrop of the division of Sudan in 2011 and addresses racism, oppression and the many fault lines between the ethnic groups. In addition, it offers a very interesting insight into everyday life and the reality of life in a country that is largely foreign to us.

The contrasts mentioned are visible in the main characters and their families: Mona, a Sudanese-Arab and Muslim housewife and former well-known singer, belongs to the upper middle class of Sudan, while Julia, a Christian of South Sudanese-African origin, belongs to the underprivileged class and in lives in a poor district of the capital. Through a fateful chain of circumstances, Mona is responsible for the death of Julia’s husband. The matter is covered up with a lot of bribes without Julia finding out about it. She is now deprived of her livelihood and, in addition to searching for her husband, has to fight for her own survival and that of her young son. Plagued by feelings of guilt, Mona takes the two of them in, viewed suspiciously by her husband, an old-school racist, for whom the “southerners” are just born slaves and generally inferior people. Of course, Julia is only allowed to succeed as a maid and live in the stuffy shed. Mona doesn’t go so far as to let Julia and her son live in the air-conditioned house either. Although she is empathetic and caring compared to her husband, she cannot completely escape the racist stereotypes; The cups and plates used by Julia and her son are marked so that nothing mixes.

Nevertheless, Mona and Julia get closer over time and become something like friends, even if the social height between the two is difficult to bridge. Of course, the secret of Julia’s dead husband always hovers over and between them, and of course the whole thing doesn’t go well for long. “Goodbye Julia” is a very accessible and timelessly classic melodrama, whose film language adapts to global viewing habits and is nowhere near as unwieldy as, for example, many films from Nigeria’s notorious film industry – keyword “Nollywood” – that are for European eyes and ears are difficult to digest. This accessibility and the convincingly staged and acted story meant that “Goodbye Julia” was the first Sudanese film ever to be invited to the Cannes Film Festival, where it received the Prix de la Liberté. The names of the two leading actresses shouldn’t mean anything to anyone in this country, but they are stars at home; Eiman Yousif as a singer and Siran Riak as a supermodel and former Miss South Sudan.

Kordofani’s lesson on guilt and punishment is, if nothing else, a story about the self-empowerment of women in the midst of a deeply patriarchal society. In this, the (husband) husband is the measure of all things. Mona had to give up her career as a singer because her husband demanded it of her, who also monitors her every move and makes the decisions. If you follow Kordofani, the times when women humbly practiced obedience in the face of such patriarchal conditions are long gone, even in Sudan. For him, the traditional role model is just a façade behind which the women have come up with their own strategies to deal creatively with male dominance behavior or to circumvent it. In the end, Mona will even sing again and accept that her husband will cast her out.

The hope expressed by Kordofani that the division of Sudan in 2011 would be the beginning of a rapprochement and reconciliation between the feuding ethnic groups has, as we know, not been fulfilled. South Sudan is now considered a failed state, a good ten years after it seceded from the Arab north. Since the military coup in 2021, the country has been plunged into chaos due to power struggles between rival factions and civil war, violence and misery have reigned. Unfortunately, it is doubtful whether the film will achieve significant audience numbers in (South) Sudan.

“Goodbye Julia”: Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Sweden 2023. Director and book: Mohamed Kordofani. With: Eiman Yousif, Siran Riak, Nazar Gomaa, Ger Duany. 120 min. Now in the cinema.

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