PORTLAND — On Mon. April 4, Revolution from Afar will be available to stream virtually on the WORLD Channel, and will broadcast on Maine Public Television Thurs., April 7 at 9 p.m. and Sat., April 9 at 2 p.m.

he program partners will then host a free community conversation virtually on Mon. April 11 at  8 p.m. with the film’s director, Bentley Brown, artist Khadega Mohammed and Portland-based poet, Nyamuon “Moon” Nguany Machar. Moderator Hana Baba, of NPR’s KALW, will engage the panel with questions of identity, art, activism, and the work of individual and communal efficacy. To join the online discussion, sign up at MIFF.org/Revolution.

These events are produced by Black Public Media and WORLD Channel’s AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange, which is distributed and co-presented by American Public Television; Indigo Arts Alliance’s Indigo Picks series; the Maine Public Film Series; and the Maine Film Center.

Revolution from Afar

Not rated, 60 minutes, in English and in Arabic with English subtitles.

In 2019, after protests across Sudan led to the fall of 30-year dictator Omar al-Bashir, the military took over and shut down the Internet, leaving those abroad to voice a plea for a peaceful transition to civilian government.

An ocean away, Sudanese-American poets and musicians, whose families left Sudan for America in decades past, gathered in major American cities to perform in support of the revolution. At the heart of the film is a conversation around identity, belonging, and the uncertain future of Sudan, from which they have been physically cut off.

“Sparking a Revolution from Within” Panelists

Documentary filmmaker Bentley Brown moved as a child with his family from the United States to Chad, where he began making films. His filmography, largely in Arabic and French, revolves around third-culture identity, disidentification, and belonging, and includes Oustaz (Berlinale 2016), First Feature (IFFRotterdam 2019), and Revolution From Afar (Africa Movie Academy Awards nominee 2020).

Hana Baba is a radio journalist – the longtime host of Crosscurrents – the award-winning weeknight newsmagazine on NPR station KALW in San Francisco. She is also co-creator and co-host of The Stoop podcast from Radiotopia, which tells stories from across the Black Diaspora.

Her stories also appear on NPR, PRI’s The World, BBC, and more. A Sudanese American, Hana enjoys exploring cultural intersections and diaspora life. She regularly speaks at audio and podcasting conferences and is passionate about teaching journalism in underrepresented communities.

Nyamuon “Moon” Nguany Machar is an advocate for disproportionate and minority youth in the mental health field. She works as a teacher for the Telling Room in Portland, Maine, a writing program that provides young people the space and skills needed to begin carving room for their voices.

As a spoken word poet, she works to motivate others to find strength in their voices through creative means. She is the recipient of the Rising Advocate Award from the Bazelon Center in Washington, DC, and the Diaspora Award from the Luol Deng Foundation for her advocacy work around South Sudan.

Khadega Mohammed is a spoken word artist, community organizer, and Sudanese immigrant featured in Revolution from Afar. A prolific voice, she is the founder of the UNfiltered Discussion Series, a youth-led program aimed at fostering real, honest, and open discussions surrounding controversial topics in the community.

Program Partners

Black Public Media (BPM) supports the development of visionary content creators and distributes stories about the global Black experience to inspire a more equitable and inclusive future. For more than four decades, BPM has addressed the needs of unserved and underserved audiences. BPM continues to address historical, contemporary, and systemic challenges that traditionally impede the development and distribution of Black stories.

Indigo Arts Alliance (IAA) is an arts incubator founded in 2018 and launched in 2019 located in Portland, Maine. IAA’s mission is to cultivate the artistic development of people of African descent in connection with other artists from diverse backgrounds of the African diaspora. An integral aspect of IAA’s work is to provide Maine-based artists of African descent access to a broader range of practicing Black and Brown artists from around the globe.

Maine Public is Maine’s premier, independent media resource, dedicated to creating exceptional opportunities for the communities it serves to engage with critical issues, compelling stories, and quality entertainment. Maine Public is renowned for creating award-winning programs, as well as airing content from PBS, NPR, and other independent producers. Every day Maine Public connects the people of Maine and our region to each other and to the world through the open exchange of information, ideas, and cultural content.

The Maine Film Center (MFC) brings worldwide independent film to Maine through Railroad Square Cinema, the only Sundance Art House Project cinema in Maine; the annual Maine International Film Festival, a 10-day celebration that attracts filmmakers and film lovers from around the world; and impactful, accessible film exhibitions and educational programs for all ages. MFC’s mission is to educate, entertain, and build community through film.