Lupita Nyong’o to executive produce Sudanese drama ‘Goodbye Julia
Hollywood-based Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o has signed on as an executive producer for Sudanese director Mohamed Kordofani’s debut feature, Goodbye Julia.
The film made history earlier this year as the first Sudanese film to be presented in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival.
The film marks Sudan’s second-ever submission in the International Feature Film category at the Oscars.
Directed by Sudanese filmmaker Mohamed Kordofani, the film takes place just before the 2011 secession of South Sudan and won the Un Certain Regard section’s Prix de Liberté (Freedom Prize) at Cannes.
“‘Goodbye Julia’ is a powerful representation of the conflict happening in Sudan right now, which affects millions of lives across Eastern Africa,” Nyong’o said in a statement.
“Mohamed Kordofani and the filmmakers present the issues in a beautiful, deeply personal way. I’m honored to lend my voice to help bring this film’s message to the world.”
Goodbye Julia portrays two women whose friendship represents the complicated relationship and differences between the northern and southern Sudanese communities.
The film stars Eiman Yousif and Sudanese model Siran Riak in her big-screen acting debut and also features south Sudanese actor and activist Ger Duany.
Goodbye Julia takes place in Khartoum during the last years of Sudan as a united country. The region returned to a wider conflict in 2023.
The film’s Cannes premiere took place just weeks after fighting broke out in Khartoum due to a clash between rival generals, which has led to the deaths of 5,000 people and uprooted seven million people.
As for the award winning actress, she will soon appear in the Quiet Place spinoff A Quiet Place: Day One.
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