Mohamed Kordofani’s Goodbye Julia, which grew to become the primary Sudanese characteristic to ever play at Cannes earlier this 12 months, has achieved one other first following its launch throughout the Gulf.
The movie has recorded field workplace of $349,000 from 27,000 admissions following its launch by MAD Options in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain on December 7 and within the UAE on December 14 throughout a complete of 84 screens. It is a document for a non-Egyptian or non-Saudi arthouse movie within the GCC.
Saudi accounted for 40% of complete takings from 37 screens whereas the UAE represented 30% of revenues from 27 screens.
Cairo-based MAD Options partnered with VOX Cinemas to theatrically launch the characteristic, which was chosen as Sudan’s submission for the Oscars however didn’t make the lately introduced shortlist.
It follows a bumper launch in Egypt, the place the movie topped the field workplace when it opened on October 25, forward of Martin Scorsese’s Killers Of The Flower Moon. It has since develop into the very best grossing Arab movie on the Egyptian field workplace, taking almost $100,000 (EGP3m) to this point. It’s also on its seventh week of launch in France by way of ARP Choice, which opened the movie in 51 theatres.
MAD Options co-founders Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab advised Display screen: “Goodbye Julia is a perfect instance that Arab audiences are able to discover extra Arab movies outdoors of simply Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
“We recognize that VOX Cinemas took this threat with us… and their assist and cooperation have been very important to the movie’s success up to now, permitting it to have a deep influence on audiences and break new floor on the earth of Arab filmmaking.”
Toni El Massih, managing director of cinemas at VOX-owner Majid Al Futtaim Leisure, stated of taking Goodbye Julia throughout the Gulf: “Having gained crucial acclaim and amassed a number of awards at prestigious worldwide movie festivals, we’re assured that this poignant human drama will captivate audiences throughout the area.”
Following its world premiere at Cannes, the place it performed in Un Sure Regard and gained the Freedom Prize, Goodbye Julia has gone on to amass greater than 20 awards at festivals together with El Gouna and Singapore.
The movie follows the story of Mona — a northern Sudanese retired singer in a tense marriage — who’s wracked by guilt after masking up a homicide. In an bid to make amends, she takes within the deceased’s southern Sudanese widow and son into her dwelling however is unable to admit
The movie stars Eiman Yousif, Sudanese supermodel Siran Riak in her first on-screen position, Nazar Goma and Ger Duany. Written and directed by Kordofani, it’s produced by Station Movies’ Amjad Abu Alala, the Sudanese director of You Will Die At Twenty – winner of Venice’s Lion of the Future award in 2019 and Sudan’s first-ever Oscars submission – in collaboration with producer Mohamed Al-Omda, co-producer of Berlinale title The Burdened.
Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o joined as an govt producer final month to assist the discharge of the movie.
