Sudanese filmmakers shine light on war's 'silent problems'

Source: The Nation

CAIRO - Sudanese directors and actors were in Egypt this week hoping to use the power of cinema to shine a light on the war devastating their country and on world indifference. Fighting broke out in mid- April last year between Sudan's regular army, headed by the country's de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. The war has killed tens of thousands of people and forced millions more to flee their homes, triggering acute food shortages and a dire humanitarian crisis in the already impoverished country. This desperation was highlighted at the Aswan International Women Film Festival through five Sudanese short films. "We must speak about ourselves and our silent problems, even through a simple artistic production," Sudanese actress and human rights activist Eiman Yousif told AFP.