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In a cotton-farming village in Sudan, teenage Nafisa is raised on her grandmother’s tales of heroic villagers battling British colonizers. But when a young businessman arrives from abroad with talk of development and genetically engineered cotton, Nafisa becomes the center of a power play to determine the future of the village. Suddenly wary of the stories that she’s been told, Nafisa sets out to save the cotton fields—and herself. Filmed after the outbreak of war in Sudan in 2023 and recreated in Egypt with Sudanese refugees, the production itself mirrors the film’s themes of displacement, resilience, and creative endurance. With lyrical cinematography and understated performances, the poignant film stands as a cinematic ode to the strength and spirit of women who persist, create, and dream in the face of loss and upheaval. With Cotton Queen, Mirghani became the first Sudanese woman to direct a feature-length film. ~SM