Magical realist feature film debut by artist Ali Cherri about a mason's mysterious desert project in northern Sudan. 

Sudan, near the Merowe Dam. Maher works in a traditional brickyard fed by the waters of the Nile. He sneaks out into the desert every night to build a mysterious structure made of mud. As the Sudanese people rise up to demand their freedom, his creation slowly begins to take on a life of its own.

The script of this bold political fable was developed in collaboration with two French heavyweights: screenwriter Geoffroy Grison and director Bertrand Bonello, known for THE BEAST, among other films. THE DAM premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. Besides directing films, Parisian Ali Cherri works on visual art. His work OF MEN AND GODS AND MUD, which is also about the Sudan dam, has been acquired by Bonnefanten and can be seen with other works in collection exhibition Dream On.

The screening will be introduced by junior curator at Bonnefanten, Roxy Jongewaard. After the screening there will be a Q&A between Roxy and Ali Cherri.

Please note that this film is Arabic spoken and English subtitled.

Snajka: Diary of Expectations uncompromisingly delves into the complexity of a romantic relationship between two people from different backgrounds, unravelling the challenges the Croatian Tea and the Roma Mirsad face with the prospect of love, marriage and parenthood.

From 19 October to 12 January, Bonnefanten presents the exhibition Małgorzata Mirga-Tas: This is not the end of the road. The screening of Snajka: Diary of Expectations is part of the context programme. Afterwards, there will be a Q&A with Tea Vidovic Dalipi, director of the documentary.