Ayda, Lioness among the Free Lions

The film provides a glimpse into the life of Ayda Saeed, a female member of the Free Lions Forces, an armed militia established by Sudanese Rashaida rebels between 1999 and 2006. Set in 2006 during peace negotiations with the Sudanese government, the film follows Ayda’s daily life in Al Gerda camp near the Sudanese border in Tessenei, Eritrea. Amidst working on a tent restoration project for Mabruk Mubarak, the leader of the Free Lions, Ayda navigates personal and political dynamics, providing insight into the Rashaida community’s struggle for identity and autonomy.

This online version is an adjusted, approved version (102min) of the screened-version at the festival.