Two suns on the Nil

From his childhood, Shamseddin's journey towards his identity begins. His soul grows, unaware of his rebellious body, leaving his name behind and crossing from Sudan to the other bank of the Nile. There, he becomes a woman, named Shams. Shams begins a new life in Cairo. She experiences long waits with fellow refugees at the doors of international organizations, and meets other marginalized people searching for their dreams and identities, waiting to leave the river for the sea. In vast Cairo, Shams encounters Shamseddin's memory more than once. Once, she remembers "Zorba the Sudanese" from her university days, and another time, she remembers her mother's tenderness and her father's cruelty. But the voice that always accompanies her is Maryam's, the grandmother with whom Shams lived her early days, and who herself lived her days as a victim of patriarchal society, before dying a victim of colonialism. From his childhood, Shams embarks on a journey to discover his true identity. His soul grows increasingly distant from his flawed physical self, pushing him to leave his name behind as he crosses from Sudan to the opposite bank of the Nile. There, he becomes Shams. Shams begins a new chapter in Cairo, enduring long waits alongside other refugees at international organization doors. She meets fellow marginalized individuals who, like herself, are in search of their dreams and identities, eagerly anticipating their departure from the river to the sea.

In the vast city of Cairo, Shams finds herself recalling Shamseddin on multiple occasions. Sometimes, she reminisces about “Zorba the Sudanese” from their university days, while other times she recollects the tenderness of her mother and the cruelty of her father. However, the voice that consistently accompanies her is the voice of Maryam, her grandmother who shared her early days. Maryam endured the hardships of a patriarchal society and fell victim to colonization before her passing.