In Conversation: Talal Afifi – What Can a Militant Image Do? - Sudan, Political Cinema and the Conditions of Visibility

Militant cinema is often associated with the anti-colonial movements and liberation struggles of the 1960s and 1970s. However, the motivating factors behind the practice – war, occupation, authoritarianism and the fight to control images – are more prevalent than ever in our current moment.

In conversation with Sudanese filmmaker Talal Afifi, we will explore what militant film can mean today – not as a genre or visual style, but as relationships: between filmmakers and the communities with which they collaborate; between images and their histories; and between production, funding, exhibition and political accountability.

The conversation will be accompanied by excerpts from Sudanese films that go beyond the purely testimonial to embody potential forms of collective memory, refusal and political agency.

Talal Afifi is a Sudanese film curator and producer. He is the founder of Sudan Film Factory and the Sudan Independent Film Festival and has for many years now been a passionate advocate for the support of Sundanese independent filmmaking. His most recent productions include the documentary film KHARTOUM (2025).