A 2025 Documentary Short Film Directed by Bob Miller
24 minutes 24 seconds

Synopsis

In the remote Nuba Mountains of Sudan, decades of war have uprooted the lives of millions, and vestiges of conflict riddle the landscape of daily life. Yet as a new war reverberates outward from the nation's capital, this quiet region that was once a target area is now becoming a safe haven.

In this modern day exodus story, an elderly man living in Khartoum (Musa) enlists the help of a young college student (Emmanuel) to heroically facilitate the evacuation and resettlement of thousands of Sudanese back to the relative safety of their homeland. Meanwhile as Emmanuel grapples with his trauma and new identity as a refugee, nearby communities provide refuge as they learn to heal together.

Premise

As world leaders continue to isolate and turn inward, the re-framing of migration narratives has become a moral imperative for storytellers. By providing a rare glimpse into an incredibly remote region of Sudan during a time of war, Exodus invites audiences to reflect on universal themes of identity and place at a moment when 1 out of 67 people have been forcibly displaced worldwide.

Director’s Statement

My connection to East Africa began in 2007 when I stumbled into an international news story with an old Nikon and 42 rolls of film. The people I met and the photographs I made during that journey were formative for me. Seventeen years later, after several trips to the region, I returned to Sudan at the invitation of humanitarian workers to help illustrate a rapidly devolving crisis that the world had largely overlooked. With the blessing of the SPLM-N Commander Abdelaziz Al-Hilu and support from local Nuba, I meet Musa, Emmanuel and many of the 3,000 Sudanese they helped evacuate during the height of the current war. Over the course of 11 days in May of 2024, Exodus was filmed. And today, the War In Sudan grinds on amidst other global conflicts. I hope this remarkable true story can be used as a vehicle for awareness and social impact on the international stage, reminding all audiences of our shared humanity.

— Bob Miller, Director

Cast & Crew

  • Musa

    Featured Cast

  • Emmanuel

    Featured Cast

  • Bob Miller

    Director, Cinematographer, Sound Recordist, Editor

  • Yassin Hassan

    Camera Assistant, Field Producer

  • Abulul Rajab

    Producer

  • Brad Phillips

    Executive Producer

  • Matt Chancey

    Executive Producer

  • Hannah

    Field Producer

Additional Credits

JASON JONES Associate Producer ZAKI DIFFAN Transportation Captain NICOLA ALI Transportation Assistant TUCKER CHANCEY Production Assistant
SANDERS BOHLKE Original Score JOE FULLER Motion Designer ERIC CHAPMAN Re-recording Mixer PARADOX POST Color & Finishing DREW TEKULVE Colorist
AVERY MARSHALL Color Assist BRYAN FUGAL Color Producer BRITTANY SCHULTZ Post Coordinator COBBLESTONE FOLEY Sound Design