We chatted to Qatar-based, Sudanese film maker Eiman Mirghani to learn about her story and how her projects are developed.

When and how did you first become interested in filmmaking?
Ever since I was young, I have had a fascination with films. Going to the cinema felt like a very special occasion to me where I would leave everything behind and get engrossed in a new world – it was exhilarating to me! By the time I was a teen, I started to discover more films (ones that had a particular impression on me at the time were City of God, Caramel, Goodfellas, La Haine and more). I became obsessed with one question: How can anyone think of such stories? Where did they even begin to make such works? My interest only grew and by the time I finished high school, I knew I wanted to get into filmmaking.

It’s not an easy field to enter. How did you get your start?
I graduated with a BA in Film & Media Studies from the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus. After that, I came back to Doha (where I was born) and entered a scriptwriting workshop with the Doha Film Institute (DFI). I made myself known and showed them that I was eager to be on set and learn on the job. Eventually, I joined DFI as an intern for some months. I built a very good relationship with the DFI team and soon after, I was hired as their in-house production coordinator and assistant director.

You are both producer and director (and sometimes writer), please outline the difference in the roles and explain how you separate them.
The director is essentially the creative force that leads a film. The director is the person who dictates the cinematography, production design, costume and acting style of the film among other major things. The producer, on the other hand, is the person who ensures that all the conditions, logistics, funding and crew are made available to make the director’s vision come true. If a film set were to be a ship going on a journey, the producer would be the navigator, but ultimately, the director is the captain.

What first brought you to Doha and how do you find the film scene in the city, is it supportive?
I was actually born and raised in Qatar. I did my school studies here until 2011, when I left to pursue film studies in Malaysia. I have been back in Doha since 2015, working on various projects since then from short films and documentaries to TVCs (commercials), music videos and news reports. Since my introduction to DFI in 2015, I have been lucky to meet many other filmmakers and production houses in Qatar and beyond (such as in Sudan and Egypt), which I have also collaborated with. My relationship with DFI is still on-going now, and they continue to support my work, which I am very grateful for!

I understand your latest film, Villa 187, is inspired by the change in visa status that has led to your family’s departure from Doha. Can you please tell us a bit about that and how the production has unfolded?
My father has been working in Doha as a doctor since 1989. In the last few years, there was always a tension that my parents would experience each year to find out if my father’s contract would get renewed or not – since he had already passed the retirement age. The news ultimately came in 2020, where he was let go after over 35 years of service in Doha. The news, although somewhat expected, was still very difficult for our family to handle. We were pushed to leave the house my parents had made our home, the home where me and all my sisters were born and raised. It was a challenging time for me, but something inside me felt like it was important to document this period. I wanted to preserve our memories in that house and documenting them was therapeutic to me. Six weeks after we received the news, we had left the house and stayed somewhere else until we could figure out our next steps. In the meantime, I had joined a documentary film residency with the Doha Film Institute, where I was eventually able to complete Villa 187.

As a Sudanese woman, much of your work draws on the challenges facing women and girls in your homeland. How do you decide the topics you will tackle and find people to speak to you about the more difficult issues?
An important lesson I have learned when scriptwriting or developing ideas for a film is that the most personal is usually the most honest and universal, and these are the types of films I would most like to make. I want to highlight the issues, challenges and emotions that women like myself, my Sudanese friends, my mother, my aunt, relatives, etc., go through because they are important and often underrepresented.

Which of your projects so far are you most proud of and why?
I am proud of each project I have done for different reasons because every experience brings on its own new challenges and lessons. Among those projects is Al-Sit, the short film directed by my friend and collaborator Suzi Mirghani, which I would say is one of the largest, independent films I have contributed to as a producer. I am also extremely proud of my short films Villa 187 and The Bleaching Syndrome, because they both cover extremely personal, but universal subjects – which have touched many audiences.

Perhaps your best known film, as a producer, is Al-Sit which has received many international accolades. Please tell us a bit about the film and the effect its success has had on your career going forward.
Suzi, the director of Al-Sit, came to me with her script for the first time in 2017. I instantly knew that this project was going to be very special. It was not an easy project, which required many months of planning ahead before going to shoot in Sudan, which at the time had just come out of a revolution and the film scene was extremely young/non-existent. But through Suzi’s hard work and our incredible crew and network of collaborators, we were able to complete the gruelling production phase as an independent production – which has taught me so much about leading a team and preserving a creative process despite major challenges. This has definitely helped in putting my name out there but, more than anything, I learned so many valuable lessons that I have carried with me into my subsequent projects after that.

What’s next for you?
Right now, I am working on putting my film Villa 187 out there, it will soon have its international premiere and have a run through the international festival circuit. I am also developing my next film project… but more on that later!

On a side note, you’re also the lead vocalist with Goodbye Divas, please tell us about that side of your artistic life.
Music has always been an important part of my life and a big source of inspiration, especially when I develop my films. I always say if I hadn’t pursued a career in film, I probably would have been in music. I have been dabbling in music since I was in high school but only seriously started to get involved with the rock scene in Doha since 2022, when I started to book gigs with local musician friends. Through this network of musicians, I came to meet the band Goodbye Divas, who were holding auditions for a new lead vocalist. Thankfully, I got in! And we have been jamming together since 2025. It has been such a fun experience working with them, which I personally love for the artistic release it gives me. ✤

Quick-Fire Five

If you could work with any actor past or present, who would it be? He’s not an actor, but chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain. He’s a genius whose style of storytelling was as fun as it was humbling and eyeopening. I would have loved to follow him with a camera on his adventures.

What’s on your bucket list for 2026? Finish 20 books, watch 100 films, visit three new countries.

What’s your favourite food? I am always happy with any variation of a Chinese takeout… give me dumplings, hot and sour soup, crispy chilli chicken any day.

Most-loved song of all time? It always changes depending on my mood and environment. For the moment, I would say Wahdi by Maryam Saleh.

Three things you never leave the house without? Phone, my rollies and headphones.