Cinema Releases - You Will Die at Twenty

Past Preview screenings:
BFI Southbank with recorded Q&A from Amjad Abu Alala September 23 2021 BFI Southbank 2nd October 2021
Inverness Film Festival 6th Nov Eden Court Rich Mix 35-57 Bethnal Green Rd, London E1 6LA
November 1st, 6pm.  Part of Film Africa season, Africa in Motion,  Online sceening November 6th from 7pm for 48 hoursAmplify Festival Online screening , Safar Festival, Thu 8th July 2021 9.15pm ICA Cinema
New Preview Sat November 6th, 1.45pm  ICA Cinema (Cinema 1)

Week Starting 12th November

Week Starting 19th November

Week Starting 26th November

Week Starting 3rd December

Week Starting 10th December

February and March 2022

★★★★
"Sudan’s first Oscar entry... warmed by compassion and gorgeous dreamy imagery. ‘The film is a parable about the dangers of blind faith in religion and authority…there are some gorgeous images here, too."
Cath Clarke, THE GUARDIAN

★★★★★
"Exploring concepts of mortality and morality in a number of intelligent and gripping ways… fantastic cinematography and sound design…great production work is bolstered further by a talented cast who deliver powerful and emotive performances… perfectly."
Umar Ali,  THE UPCOMING

★★★★
'A sadly all-to-rare chance to catch a new work from Sudan on the big screen. Spirited and philosophical...its quiet profundity strikes you hours, days after viewing.'
The film avoids hyperbole in its thoughtful, philosophical exploration of young life saddles with a finite expiry date.'
David Jenkins, LITTLE WHITE LIES

★★★★
"Sudanese film-maker Amjad Abu Alala's radiant drama dares to wonder if death can inspire courage rather than fear."
Simran Hans, THE OBSERVER

★★★★1/2
“Gorgeously crafted, melancholic exploration of what it means to live, what it means to die, and how the two intersect."
Joseph Thomasik, LOUD AND CLEAR

'A work of remarkable simplicity - and remarkable density.'
'Elegant storytelling...insightful film.'
Jonathan Romney, SIGHT & SOUND


★★★★
"..immaculate compositions...evokes the legacy of dictatorship with sensitivity and precision."
Kevin Harley, TOTAL FILM


★★★★1/2
"...it's deep and carefully made with many moral resonances and some striking images, and it has already picked up many awards and nominations in international film festivals including in Venice.'
MOVIES1

“…A modern parable where tradition and progression collide to produce an almost mystical drama...spins an intelligent and affecting yarn in complex hues.
"Beautifully shot, Amjad Abu Alala’s film is assuredly done...It feels timeless in a way."
Rob Aldham, BACKSTREET MAFIA

★★★★
"Compelling..The first Sudanese film ever to be submitted for an Oscar...walks a fine tightrope between the wonder and the grandeur of more traditionally awards-friendly fare."
"A rousing look at the shackles of foundational religion and the obstacles they present for personal growth."
Val Connor, MORNING STAR

"There are echoes of Cinema Paradiso in which the boy Toto comes to love how film questions traditional values."
"Viewers will ache through the piece for a glimpse of resurrection. Given that the film is dedicated to victims of the Sudanese Revolution, it is a rallying cry not just to Muzamil, but the whole nation. Sleepers, wake."
Stephen Brown, CHURCH TIMES

★★★★
"Beautiful. The locations offers a landscape that like religion, has inspired peole as well as frightened them."
Dan Carrier,CAMDEN NEW JOURNAL/ISLINGTON TRIBUNE/WEST END EXTRA

"Critic's Pick"
A folk tale turns existential in “You Will Die at Twenty,” the rapturous debut feature by the Sudanese filmmaker Amjad Abu Alala."
"Devika Girish, The New York Times

" A vibrant and transfixing revelation, You Will Die at Twenty is as novel a vision as we may see this year."
Carlos Aguilar, The L.A. Times

“An affecting work and an impressive first feature.

Boasting a terrific visual sensitivity, this rare film from Sudan has a fable-like quality in its depiction of an isolated village where "Critic's Pick"
superstition constrains its people.”
Jay Weissberg, Variety

“Abu Alala’s feature debut has a fascinating pitch…”
Boyd van Hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter

“The feature debut from Sudanese filmmaker Amjad Abu Alala reveals a promising director with great control of mise en scene.…beautifully realised feature debut....the promising Amjad Abu Alala (who wrote the script with Yousef Ibrahim) delivers a subtle political message underneath a narration that delicately holds on the thread of suspense, mixes myth and realism, and delicately unpacks mother- and father-son relationships. Qualities which make him a filmmaker to follow very closely.”
Fabien Lemercier, Cineuropa

“A complex, stunning and sophisticated debut feature from Amjad Abu Alala and a major achievement for Sudanese cinema. A confident debut that already feels like an accomplishment.

Amjad Abu Alala creates one of the best, if not the best, Middle Eastern film of the year with a daring, poetic and reflective film about faith, life and death” Mina Takla, Awards Watch

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Trailer on YouTube - link or embed

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Soundtrack on Amazon (£7.99)

BFI Sight & Sound Interview with Amjad Abu Alala by Georgia Korossi

Interview (zoom) with Amjad Abu Alala  by Yousseff Shazli on the BFI YOuTube channel

Interview (zoom) with Amjad Abu Alala by Guetty Felin from the New York African Film Festival

Interview with Amjad Abu Alala by E. Nina Rothe - Thrive Global

Interview with Amjad Abu Alala by Kaleem Aftab - Variety