Goodbye Julia * * * * ½

You won't be sleeping in this movie!

Sudan isn't the first country that comes to mind when one thinks of cinema.  Given its tribulations it's a miracle it has a film industry at all.  Needless to say it's not exactly prolific, which makes a film of this quality all the more remarkable. 

Goodbye Julia, has been out for about a year.  It's taken a while to reach our shores.  

Set in Sudan in 2010, it was the time when South Sudan was getting ready to break away from the North and form a new country.  There was much antagonism, tribalism and racial exploitation.  The proposal of secession was inflaming the already heated atmosphere.

Julia and her husband and child live in this situation. They are a dirt poor African family of Christian conviction. One day, in a matter of minutes, tragic circumstances take Julia's husband away. 

To explain the events would be to give you spoilers, but what  has happened to Julia's husband is how we get to know a middle class Islamic Arabic couple - Mona and Akram -  mainly because they are responsible for his absence. 

Sick with guilt, Mona anonymously seeks out Julia and extends a kindness and generosity that is unusual, bringing her into her home as domestic help. Unaware of  who Julia is, Mona's husband lets it be, and even develops a warm relationship with Julia's child, Daniel. 

Mona gives Julia and her son opportunities that they would never have received. Daniel goes to private school, Julia commences college. There she meets a man that would like to have Julia in his life.  Tall and charismatic he is also a member of the SPLA, a paramilitary group who are somewhat persuasive in their opinion of the upcoming secession and other Sudanese politics.

But all the time Mona harbours a terrible secret from Julia and from her own husband Akram.  In some ways the character of Mona is more complex than that of Julia.  She lives with intimidation and restrictions from a loving but oppressive husband. The one ambition she has in life is not allowed.  She carries a terrible conscience regarding Julia and the way she is deceiving Akram who is unaware of Julia's history.  Mona's guilt, her thwarted ambitions and her secrets are a daily burden to her. 

The relationship (and acting) between the two women is insightful, touching and disturbing. They are a microcosm of their country, showing privilege, oppression, and avoidance of truth, whilst desperately needing to be friends. 

Rich with symbolism as it reflects and informs us of the terrible conflict in Sudan, along with religious, tribal, and gender politics, Goodbye Julia is a slow-burn powerhouse of a drama, that frequently shocks with revelations. 

It's a  deeply moving story, beautifully shot and acted with great conviction.  It is written and directed by Mohamed Kordofani. It's his first feature film and it is near perfect.