A documentary exploring the impact of war and starvation in Sudan will be screened in Bath as part of the Festival of Social Science 2026.
The film ‘Hunger is more dangerous than war’: Stories of starvation from Sudan, will be screened by the University of Bath at the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution on Tuesday 3 November.
Created by Dr Naomi Pendle, a Reader in Bath’s Department of Social & Policy Sciences, Simon Wharf, from the University’s Media Production Unit, and Gisma Musa and Santina Sadia, Sudanese researchers working with the University of Bath, the film examines the long history of wartime starvation in the Nuba Mountains.
Filmed in 2025, it also highlights the resilience and innovation of local communities as they seek to survive and preserve hope and dignity amid conflict.
Dr Naomi Pendle says: “At the moment, the world is worried about the El Niño weather system and the extreme hunger this will bring. The most impacted will be the hundreds of thousands of people who are already on the edge of starvation because of armed conflict.
“Our research at the University of Bath is grappling with how the politics of wartime starvation intersections with climatic uncertainties, often compounding suffering. For example, over the past four decades the Nuba Mountains region has seen armed conflict and battles over gold and land that have caused repeated famines, even though the area is highly fertile and a major food exporter.
“War in 2026 has again forced people off their farms and into the rocky mountains. In past famines, people survived in the mountains on wild foods. Yet, El Niño is making it uncertain if even these food will grow.”
A panel discussion will follow the screening, featuring Nuba Mountains community members together with Dr Naomi Pendle.
The event forms part of the Festival of Social Science 2026, which aims to demonstrate how social science research can help people understand issues affecting society.
The film is the latest from the University’s Media Production Unit, whose previous documentary Cobalt Rush, which focused on the mining of cobalt for electric car batteries in Democratic Republic of Congo, was screened by the UN and won awards including one from the British Film Institute.
Event Details
What: ‘Hunger is more dangerous than war’: Stories of starvation from Sudan
When: Tuesday 3 November 2026, 6.30pm to 8.30pm
Where: Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, 16-18 Queen Square, Bath BA1 2HN
Cost: Free; advance booking required
Booking: Festival of Social Science