No Place to Rest

A powerful collection of Sudanese shorts explores resilience, memory, revolution, and the inner lives of a people shaped by conflict and hope.


The Salon (2023)
Dir. Rafa Renas
25min
Sudan, U.K
In Arabic with English subtitles

New York premiere

A beauty salon in Khartoum hides a secret and doubles as a space for women escaping violence.

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Is It War? (2025)
Dir. Timeea Mohamed Ahmed
6min
Sudan
In Arabic with English subtitles

North American premiere
Detached from his soul in a surreal journey through a forest, an artist clad in traditional attire navigates the chaos of his inner world and the war-torn reality of Sudan. As a member of the Sudanese diaspora, he mentally escapes the brutal truths of his homeland's conflict. Through a series of visually striking and symbolic scenes, he expresses his inner turmoil and the profound impacts of war on all Sudanese people, regardless of their ethnicities and affiliations.

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Bidaya (2019)
Dir. Mai Egizouli
5min
Sudan
In English

Traditional iconography and contemporary fashion meld in the music video award-winning film director and multidisciplinary artist Mai Elgizouli made for a song by her sister, Sudanese singer-songwriter Hiba Elgizouli, with creative direction and costume design by sister Sally Elgizouli. “Bidaya” (“Beginning”) was written just before the start of the revolution in Khartoum, when people in the city were desperate and helpless but held onto hope, and the visual style envisions a brighter future for Sudanese women in particular.

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Journey to Kenya (2020)
Dir. Ibrahim Snoopy
29min
Sudan
In Arabic with English subtitles

Inspired by the soul of the Sudanese revolution, a Sudanese Jiu Jitsu team with no funding tried to travel in an old van to participate in a championship in Nairobi. The players were willing to cross three countries with not enough money, food or water—just the revolutionary spirit and their will to dedicate something to the martyrs of the Sudanese revolution of 2019.

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Sarra Idris & Selma Idris Present
Nothing Happens After That (2024)
Dir. Ibrahim Omar
12min
Sudan, Egypt
In Arabic with English subtitles

Thomas makes a diligent attempt to find a final resting place for his only child, but is surprised to learn that today is not the right day to do so.