“Goodbye Julia” in the Oscar storm

 “Goodbye Julia,” directed by Mohamed Kordofani, has been nominated to represent Sudan at the Academy Awards in the “Best Non-English Language Film” category, at the ceremony scheduled to be held next March.

 “Goodbye Julia” sparked widespread controversy among those concerned with culture and identity, and critics believe that the film gained Western interest because it discusses issues that implicate the people of northern Sudan as persecuting the people of the south before secession and supports local winemakers, what is popularly known as “al-Fidadiyat,” which makes it of interest to donors and International organizations active in this field without regard to the dramatic plot and its requirements, nor to visual techniques and acting performance.

 The film “Goodbye, Julia,” which was produced by Amjad Abu Al-Ala, director of the film “She Will Die at Twenty,” won the Roger Ebert Award on the sidelines of the Chicago International Film Festival, in addition to two symbolic awards on the sidelines of the War on Screen Festival in France, namely the Audience Award and the Press Award.