Beats of the Antonov is a documentary film released in 2014. It is a Sudanese-South African coproduction, directed by Sudanese filmmaker Hajooj Kuka and produced by Hajooj Kuka and Steven Markovitz. The film documents the Sudan–SRF conflict in the Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains regions, focusing in particular on the role of music in helping the affected communities to sustain themselves culturally and spiritually in the face of the ongoing conflict.TIFF ’14: Awards glory for "Beats of the Antonov". RealScreen, 14 September 2014.
This documentary, that "put Sudan's name on the screen of world cinema",Sudanese film maker brings reality of civil war to Toronto festival The East African. Retrieved 28 February 2015. was made over a period of two years, with film director Hajooj Kuka residing among the people of the Nuba Mountains in Southern Sudan.TIFF: Beats Bags The Big Prize , Strictly Docs, 15 September 2014.
Premise The premise of Beats of the Antonov is that the core reason for the civil war in Sudan is an identity issue. Over many years, the central government in Sudan has enforced an Arab-Islamic identity on the other 56 major ethnic groups of Sudan. However, in reality Sudan has a diverse population with multi-cultural backgrounds. Through the documentary, Hajooj Kuka depicts the resilience of the people of the Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains areas of Sudan through life-celebrating music and dance, despite their daily struggle to survive in a war-torn society.Beats of Antonov tiff.. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
Reviews The film won the People's Choice Award for Best Documentary at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival and was well-reviewed by Indiewire,TIFF 2014 Review: Beats of the Antonov' Finds A New Perspective From Which To Explore The Civil War In Sudan Indiewire, 15 September 2014. Point of View,REVIEW: Beats of the Antonov TIFF Docs 2014: "Beats of the Antonov" shows the celebration of culture as the defiant assertion for diversity Point of View, 8 September 2014. The Guardian,Music of resistance in Sudan's rebel regions, The Guardian 9 December 2014, VarietyFilm Review: ‘Beats of the Antonov’ Variety, 2 January 2015. and Africa is a CountryNew film, "Beats of the Antonov," unlike anything I have ever seen Africa is a Country, 15 September 2014. among others.
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, Canada People's Choice Award for Documentaries Beats of the Antonov 2015 Luxor African Film Festival, EgyptAfrican Film Festival winners announced TNN. Retrieved 1 April 2015 Grand Nile Prize for Best Feature Documentary Beats of the Antonov 2015 Cordoba African Film Festival, SpainDe Clausura 12 FCAT Cordoba FCAT. Retrieved 1 April 2015 The Best Documentary Award Beats of the Antonov 2015Durban International Film Festival, South AfricaBest Documentary and the Artwatch Africa freedom of expression awardBeats of the Antonov2015Festival de cinémas d'Afrique in Angers, FranceBest film both jury and public awardBeats of the Antonov 2015 San Francisco International Film FestivalFestival Prizes San Francisco Film Society. Retrieved 1 April 2015 Golden Gates Awards Documentary Feature Beats of the Antonov 2016FAME, la Gaîté lyrique's cinema and pop culture festival, FranceMUBI PrizeBeats of the Antonov
Festival appearances
Festival Date Type Toronto International Film Festival 4–14 September 2014 World premiere International Documentary Film Festival AmsterdamFilms & Events A-Z IDFA. Retrieved 27 February 2015. 19–30 November 2014 European premiere Festival des 3 ContinentsA Cortege of Springs: Stories, Visions and Thoughts from the Arab World Festival Des 3 Continents. Retrieved 27 February 2015. 25 November – 2 December 2014 French premiere Journées Cinématographiques de Carthage (JCC)JCC Program Page JCC. Retrieved 27 February 2015. 29 November – 6 December 2014 North African premiere Dubai International Film FestivalDocumentary DIFF. Retrieved 27 February 2015. 10 – 17 December 2014 Middle Eastern premiere Goteborg Film FestivalThe Filmfestival 2015 GFF. Retrieved 27 February 2015. 23 January – 2 February 2015 Swedish premiere Festival panafricain du cinéma et de la télévision de Ouagadougou (FESPACO)FESPACO 2015: the complete list of the movies in competition African Top Success. Retrieved 16 January 2015 28 February – 7 March 2015 African premiere International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH)2015 Programme FIFDH. Retrieved 27 February 2015. 17 February – 8 March 2015 Swiss premiere Luxor African Film FestivalLong Documentary, Luxor African Film Festival. Retrieved 27 February 2015. 16 – 21 March 2015 Egyptian premiere Human Rights Watch Film FestivalFilm Event Details Barbican. Retrieved 1 March 2015. 19 – 27 March 2015 UK premiere Flatpack Film FestivalBeats of the Antonov Flatpack Film Festival. Retrieved 7 March 2015. 19–29 March 2015 Birmingham premiere, UK Festival de Cine AfricanoAll the Programme in Just One Click Festival de Cine Africano. Retrieved 14 March 2015. 21 – 28 March 2015 Spain premiere Panama International Film FestivalBeats of the Antonov , PIFF. Retrieved 1 April 2015. 9 – 15 April 2015 Latin American premiere San Francisco International Film FestivalFilm Guide , San Francisco Film Society. Retrieved 3 April 2015 23 April – 7 May 2015 US premiere Maryland Film Festival 6–10 May 2015 East Coast U.S. premiere club transmedialeProgramme , CTM Festival. Retrieved 3 February 2015. 30 January – 7 February 2016 German premiere
See also Cinema of Sudan
References
External links
Beats of the Antonov on Vimeo.com on demand