Screening at the upcoming 39th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in its Docs lineup, among the always impressive slate of high-profile films making their world premieres at the festival, is "Beats of the Antonov," a feature documentary that tells the story of the people of the Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains in Sudan, showing how they deal with civil war, and, more specifically, how the fear of the Russian-made Antonov planes that bomb these areas has had an unexpected result.
Thanks to remarkable access, the film – directed by Sudanese filmmaker Hajooj Kuka, and produced by Sarah Abunama-Elgadi and Steven Markovitz for Big World Cinema – reveals how challenge and conflict can bring the best out of people, reflecting the music and identity in the above 2 conflict areas.
The title of the documentary connects the musical beats featured in the film, and the Antonov (the Russian-made planes used in bombing cities and villages in Sudan).
A first trailer for the film has surfaced, and is embedded below, giving you a glimpse at what to expect.
This year’s Toronto International Film Festival, one of the top movie showcases and a favored platform to unveil Oscar contenders, will run from September 4-14.
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