Moving on to this year’s World Cinema Documentary Competition: 1/2 REVOLUTION, from Denmark/Egypt, Omar Shargawi and Karim El Hakim’s up-close, immersive view of the first part of last year’s Tahrir Square uprising.
Sundance Program Description:
January 2011—downtown Cairo—a close-knit group of activist friends struggle to stay alive and stick together as waves of protests escalate around them in their neighborhood near Tahrir Square during the first chaotic days of the Egyptian revolution. Armed with cameras and focused determination, directors Omar Shargawi and Karim El Hakim take to the streets to capture historic events out of view of the world’s media. What emerges is an astonishing cry for unity. As the violence and uncertainty build, Karim and his young family’s apartment becomes ground zero. Friends and neighbors flock together, fighting to survive the counterpunches thrown by police and the armed gangs of thugs swarming the streets below their balcony.
½ REVOLUTION is a visceral, fiercely immediate, handheld testimony, told through a string of spontaneous stolen moments that allow the viewer the front seat ride of a lifetime in a revolution that continues to unfold before our eyes.
Some Background:
Shargawi’s previous award-winning films include his documentary feature debut, MY FATHER FROM HAIFA, which premiered at Dubai, claiming two prizes. El Hakim makes his directorial debut with this documentary, but has served as a cinematographer on numerous films, including Alex Gibney’s MY TRIP TO AL-QAEDA, which premiered at Tribeca. Joining them is producer Carsten Holst, whose numerous previous credits include Sundance alums THE FIVE OBSTRUCTIONS (2004) and SCREAMING MEN (2004) and fellow 2012 Sundance competition title THE AMBASSADOR.
Why You Should Watch:
Documentary doesn’t get much more verité than this – the filmmaking duo and their friends are right in the middle of the action, or otherwise reflecting on the dramatic events from El Hakim’s apartment. While the street scenes are visceral in their impact, those at home provide a welcome sense of the individuals participating in and being affected by the radical, unthinkable changes taking place just outside their window. The documentary reflects the complexity of the Egyptian revolution, casting an uncertain, rather than celebratory, mood on what is still an ongoing societal transformation.
More Info:
Learn more about the film at its website and Facebook page. Shargawi and El Hakim discuss their doc with Indiewire here. The doc’s trailer may be found here. For screening dates and times at Sundance, click the link in the first paragraph.
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