Winner, Hot Docs Bill Nemtin Award for Best Social Impact Documentary, 2026 Hot Docs Festival
Since the outbreak of civil war in Sudan in spring 2023, fighting has driven many millions from their homes. That figure includes four of the directors and five of the participants of Khartoum, a strikingly inventive ensemble piece that doubles as an accessible primer on this complex and under-reported conflict. Employing green screen storytelling to lyrical effect, the filmmakers empower these participants—a civil servant, a tea vendor, a resistance committee volunteer and two young scrap collectors—to re-enact their experiences of the nation’s descent into violence and their subsequent journeys to neighbouring East African nations in search of refuge. Along with these vibrant and sometimes fantastical sequences, the filmmakers present observational passages, captured in peacetime before all involved were forced to flee. The result is a poignant juxtaposition that underscores the human toll of Sudan’s political turmoil, as well as the hopes and dreams the war has put on hold. Julian Carrington, Hot Docs
In Arabic and English, with English subtitles.
Content Warning: Images of war and violence.
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While this screening is presented free of charge, please consider a donation of $10 in recognition of the value of the work presented, and in honour of Viola Desmond, featured on the $10 banknote, at checkout. Half the proceeds will be shared directly with the filmmakers, who also receive screening fees.
For Viola: Hot Docs' screening series centering Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC)-led stories and filmmakers, named in honour of Canadian civil rights icon Viola Desmond. This series seeks to affirm Hot Docs as a space of inclusion for BIPOC creators and audience members alike. In order to minimize barriers to audience participation, all screenings in this series are free of charge.
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