Salah Elmur: Fixing Time

Presented by Art21, Salah Elmur: Fixing Time is a new documentary that will have its world premiere at the 2024 DOC NYC Film Festival. This release captures Elmur in his Cairo studio, where he paints dreamlike images of life in Khartoum, Sudan, drawing on cherished memories from the "boxes in his mind."

 

Referencing photographs found in his father’s archive or purchased from collectors in Cairo, Elmur’s surreal compositions blend the documentary with the subjective, capturing the essence of Khartoum. "Ninety percent of my art comes from Sudan," says the artist. "I remember the dams, the swimmers, the electricity towers, lovers sitting by the river, horses passing. I feel nostalgia for my past."

 

Today, Elmur is unable to return to his hometown due to political conflict, censorship, and war. This documentary short follows the artist’s journey to the past through his paintings, drawing from his vast photographic archive to create idyllic images of his childhood spent alongside the Blue Nile, contrasted with images of imprisonment and violence emerging from Sudan today.

 

Following its premiere, Salah Elmur: Fixing Time will be available for digital streaming on December 4, 2024, across various platforms, including Art21.org and YouTube, allowing a broader audience to experience Elmur’s deeply emotional and reflective art.