In Timeea Ahmed's "Khartoum," five exiles of Sudan’s capital give voice to their experiences through reenactment, animation, and recollection. A collaborative documentary, headed by five co-directors, each bringing their unique perspectives and real-life experiences to a documentary that is one of one.

Ahmed brings us along on the lives of these five protagonists (one being himself), showcasing their lives, dreams, hopes, and stories of love amidst the rubble. On this episode of the VIFF Podcast, we speak with Ahmed on using documentary film as an archive of life and a testament to what should be remembered in war.

This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

Sara Wylie got her filmmaking start in her late twenties, dipping her toe into documentary through her work as a political organizer after making anti-Stephen Harper comedy videos. Soon, her passion for storytelling developed into a heightened curiosity about how she processes her own life and experiences as someone experiencing complex chronic illness.

In this personal inquisition, Wylie fell upon the concept of Crip Time, contemplating how able-bodied versus disabled bodies relate to time. In a capitalist society, we are forced to bend to our clocks to keep up with the rapid pace of life. Crip time offers a new, radical approach worth considering: time should bend to disabled bodies and minds instead.

Shot on Super 8 and primarily eco-processed with plant materials by hand, in this episode of the VIFF Podcast, we talk with Wylie about her journey creating her short, Resistance Meditation. She describes it as "a weird little movie" — but Resistance Meditation is a lot more than that. It emphasizes the urgent need to resist capitalism, the demands on our precious time, and how folks with disabled bodies hold the keys to what a meaningful alternative could look like.

This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.

Solara Thanh Bình Đặng's ripe follows lead character Lệ, on the cusp of a life-altering decision. At this crossroads, she must consider an arranged marriage that is sure to support her family, but yields a profound uncertainty. Representative of a crossroads many women face, ripe represents the experience of facing a dilemma, symbolized by a durian fruit. In this work, Đặng emphasizes not the decision itself, but the spiritual and psychological journey in moving through it, a nod to her love of magical realism, and employing levity when creating a dramatic narrative.

In this episode of the VIFF podcast, Đặng discusses why the durian acts as a catalyst for this story, representative of not only a female's anatomy, but also our ancestral ties to nature and the universe. A short film packed with kaleidoscopic visuals and sound effects, shot entirely on 16 mm, Đặng speaks to the power of the short film form and why using it to experiment is an integral step in every filmmaker's journey.

This podcast is brought to you by the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Presented on the traditional and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.