Writer-director Amjad Abu Alala’s debut feature, Sudan’s first Oscar submission, is a visually sumptuous “coming-of-death” fable. During her son’s naming ceremony, the village holy man predicts that Sakina’s child will die at the age of 20. Haunted by this prophecy, Sakina becomes overly protective of her son Muzamil, in this moving meditation on what it means to live in the present. In Arabic with English subtitles. Director Amjad Abu Alala (Sudan 2019) 103 min.

EXTRA CONTENT: A special pre-recorded conversation with director Amjad Abu Alala