Barees
About the Film
Set on a Paris metro traveling from the city center to the suburbs, the film turns a single train car into a living map of colonial history. As white passengers disembark and riders of color board, a brief moment of solidarity forms through shared language and humor among Arab and African passengers—quietly watched by French police. A casual selfie sparks an argument that escalates into unresolved debates over identity, colonialism, and France’s role as occupier or protector. When tension peaks, poetry briefly cools the air. The train moves on, suspended between unity and fracture, solidarity and surveillance.
Country(s): Sweden, Norway
Production company: Riverflower
Runtime: 8 min
Director Khalid Albaih
Khalid Albaih is a Sudanese independent political cartoonist known for his sharp human rights commentary, published globally under the name Khartoon. His work has been exhibited internationally, and his writing has appeared in major global publications. He was the central figure in The Guardian’s short documentary The Story of Civil Rights is Unfinished (2016) and is the author of Khartoon! and co-editor of Sudan Retold, an art book featuring 31 Sudanese artists documenting the country’s cultural and political history.
Albaih’s practice extends beyond cartoons to installations and video works, including Bahar, a found-footage piece on refugees at sea; The Walls Have Ears (Documenta 15); Shahid (Mathaf, Qatar, 2024); and Season of Immigration to the North (Brescia Musei, Italy, 2024), all addressing displacement, memory, and social justice. In 2024, he expanded his media presence by hosting Alhasil Shino? on AJ+. He is also editor-in-chief of KhartoonMag.com, a platform supporting displaced Sudanese cartoonists, and creator of the award-winning @DohaFashionFridays, which amplifies marginalized voices. Albaih remains a leading figure in contemporary art activism, advocating for freedom of expression and global justice.
Producer Issraa Elkogali Häggström
Issraa Elkogali Häggström is a Sudanese filmmaker, writer, and producer whose work bridges art and activism. Born in Khartoum and based in Stockholm, she is a Swedish citizen by marriage and a leading voice in contemporary Sudanese cinema. She has directed six short films across fiction, documentary, and immersive media.
Her latest work, the VR immersive film MAHDIYAT, will enter the Museum of Ethnography’s permanent collection on Sweden & Colonialism in winter 2026. Issraa wrote and co-produced the award-winning short film A Handful of Dates (2020), adapted from the novella by Tayeb Salih. Her debut documentary In Search of Hip Hop (2013) screened internationally and was acquired by BBC Arabic.