Al midan (2013) Online

The Square is a powerful movie with its focus on the quest for freedom and the desire to escape the prisons of oppression, violence, and evil leaders animated by merciless power and total disregard for human rights.

On and off between late 2010 and 2013, thousands of protesters against "injustice, corruption, poverty, ignorance" filled Tahrir Square in Cairo,

But it was not over when Mubarak was ousted as the military took control. The people once again marched to the square demanding civilian rule.

We see incredible footage of the people's occupation of Tahrir Square, the violent attacks on the protesters, and heated political arguments in the street as secular Muslims express their embarrassment at the religious-based oppression by the newly powerful Brotherhood.

This is a sharp warning to the powerful not to mess with the people that will resonate with anyone anywhere.

I saw this film months after the previous review. Obviously, the filmmakers went back and re-edited their work. The resulting film is powerful, insightful and helpful to those of us for whom "Egypt" conjures images of the pyramids.

This film shows very clearly how an idea of justice and government by the people can be co-opted by those who do not necessarily have the same goals. In the end, it also asks of us, the viewers, "What are you willing to do to change a situation?" It also points out that change doesn't happen quickly or easily. Most effectively, the story follows specific individuals and makes one care about how the outcome will effect them.

Americans, take note. Most of those who chanted "Yes, we can" meant "yes, HE can" and then expected the dirty work of change to be others' responsibility. This shows how hard change really is. Don't miss it.

As both an Egyptian and a Filmmaker, I could not have been more proud of this title. The Square is a MUST SEE documentary. which takes you from the very beginning of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, until recent events that occurred throughout the past three years.

The Square focuses on a perspective that didn't have it's voice in the mainstream media, the liberal perspective. A point of view that basically initiated the Egyptian revolution. It's ambition doesn't necessarily focus on appointing a new leader nor a new constitution. But on how an Egyptian were dismissing the needs of another Egyptian for their own political interests. Although Director Jehane Noujaim showed the various different perspectives on the revolution, she succeeded on finding the ultimate common interest that led to the downfall of The Mubarak Regime, The Supreme Court of Armed Forces and last but not least, The Muslim Brotherhood.

The style of filmmaking and editing also contribute heavily on the film. The way the story transitions through music and art was spectacular. This proves what an individual can do with a camera.

The awards that went to this movie doesn't even give it justice. But the movie itself gives justice to the people of Egypt and to those who lost their souls fighting for it.

Hard to digest at first, but ultimately a fantastic film. I have seen many "documentaries" on the Arab Spring, and none have come close to covering a revolution so completely. I recall seeing the director, Jehane Noujaim on (I believe) the today show last year after she was arrested by the police or Army in Cairo and put in prison while making this film. I can only applaud when, aside from risking their lives, a filmmaker takes on the task of condensing 2 years of history into less than 2 hours of what sums up a truly complicated and twisted situation which may be the most influential of the Arab Spring. When Syrians finally take down their dictator, will they be able to watch this film and get all the answers? Definitely not, but this films gives a real and raw insight into not only what it means to be a revolutionary, but where the path of the revolutionary really ends.

S.F.

The moment the film started, my blood was running at a high-octane buzz. As someone who cares deeply about social movements in general and the Middle East specifically, I was elsewhere through the beginning of the Egyptian Revolution, so learned many of the details from this film firsthand. The story is long, chaotic, and without definitive resolution, just like the moment it follows. That is its strength, and its legacy.

We meet 5 courageous characters, a variety of Egyptians, and we learn why they devoted the last two years of their lives to protesting in the square. The way they speak about their country is heartbreakingly direct, and when they suffer for their goals it's heartbreaking. Interesting, too, is the balance of art, protest, technology, discussion, and music in the protester's toolkits. The picture is up-close, traumatic, and fast-paced, which was all the better. When a story is ongoing, I don't want a portrait with clear summaries and 20/20 hindsight. I want the information that the revolutionaries had as they made their decisions.

This is a very important documentary. Not only is it a historical record from the people's perspective of the revolution in Tehrir Square, it's a message to the world about the power of the people and human consciousness awakening in the face of oppression. You can't really comprehend this as a news story until you see the immense outpouring of emotion and energy that was (and still is) created by the Egyptian people from the ground level. I learned a lot about the struggle and situation in Egypt from this film. This should be a must see for young people all over the world. This film has been revised since it's earlier form (to take advantage of recent events) so I can only speak to it's current form but the editing assistance from Pedro Kos can't be understated. A tour de force by director Jehane Noujaim and amazing footage from their crew. This is a powerful, must see documentary.

'It's less a need for a leader and more for a conscience'--quote from one of the revolutionaries I have yet to see "The Act of Killing" and "20 Feet From Stardom", so I cannot say that "The Square" should be the Oscar winner for Best Documentary Feature. However, I have a hard time imagining a documentary better than "The Square". It's what a documentary should be--it involves the viewer, fills them with anger about a problem and offers some sort of hope.

"The Square" is a film about the Egyptian Revolution--something that is not yet complete and is in its third year. The film traces the steps that have occurred from the standpoint of folks who have staged sit-ins at Tahrir Square. The Revolution occurred because, quite simply, folks were sick and tired of the repression, torture and violence done by the Mubarak military-backed regime. At first, all groups opposed to the government banded together--they all wanted change. However, through the course of the Revolution, those opposing the government soon fell into two camps--the Muslim Brotherhood (which wanted a government based on Sharia law; i.e., a strict theocracy) and the rest who were pushing for democratic freedoms. And, sadly, as the process continued, the Brotherhood soon allied itself with the military. It seemed that individual freedom was NOT what the organization was about after all--they just wanted power for themselves and not the other dissidents. What's to happen? After all, the leader of the Brotherhood has just been elected president and the legislature is controlled by them as well. Well, oddly, the democratic groups had one final ally--the military!! Weird, as now the military is back in control--and with the consent, for now, of the democracy movement! Obviously, the Revolution is far from over.

The film is a must-see for everyone, as the news media here in the US has done a terrible job covering the events. And, too often, they just parrot the administration's assertion that the Brotherhood is a representative government. It's also a must-see because it shows various sides of the conflict and is highly informative. Additionally, you really have to admire the filmmakers--they could have easily been killed filming some of the scenes. Exceptional.

Egyptian-American director Jehane Noujaim has created a documentary about the Egyptian revolution through the prism of where everything began (and continues to evolve in the same place): Tahrir Square. The documentary begins in 2011 when dictator Hosni Mubarak is deposed. Noujaim primarily focuses on two young Egyptians on opposing sides: the young revolutionaries Ahmed (who believes in liberal reforms) and Magdy, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. In 2011, Noujaim met both of them in Tahrir Square during the protest against Mubarak and then continued to follow them, up through the recent events of 2013.

Once the old regime is deposed, Noujaim manages to shoot exclusive footage of the second protest against the military junta before elections were held and the Muslim Brotherhood assumed power. The footage is harrowing, with the Army firing on unarmed protesters as well as running over people with tanks. The outspoken Ahmed takes center stage during these protests and comes off as both a principled reformer and unrepentant hot head. At one point, it appears that Ahmed joins some protesters who throw rocks at the soldiers. Ahmed in turn is struck in the head (apparently by a rock) and must seek medical treatment.

The interplay between Ahmed and Magdy proves to be one of the most interesting sequences in the documentary. Magdy doesn't come off as much of a radical at all but appears to be in the Brotherhood for economic support (in one scene, his mother chastises him for not having a regular job to support his five children, but instead relies on the Brotherhood for his sustenance and those of his family). With the focus on what's going on in 'The Square', Noujaim devotes scant time to explaining what the Brotherhood is really about (one of the film's shortcomings).

Nonetheless she is there for the third protest (even larger than the protest against Mubarak), which results in the ousting of the 'New Dictator', Morsi, along with Muslim Brotherhood supporters. Morsi's thing is 'legitimacy', arguing that his victory entitled him to make constitutional changes. The victory of course was very narrow and with no ability for the legislature to impeach him, liberal Egyptians once again took to the streets, and threw Morsi out.

The Army went from being the villain as supporters of Mubarak, to heroes for deposing him, villains again for not instituting liberal reforms fast enough and finally being respected for getting rid of the Muslim Brotherhood. During the current time, the Army is being criticized for once again being part of the system and not working fast enough to change it. Director Noujaim does interview a few Army people, including a clueless General, who laughably denied that any of his soldiers used force against civilians.

'The Square' underscores what always seems to be happening in the Mideast—an overreaction by the Army in response to civil upheaval (the situation in Syria is far worse, resulting in thousands upon thousands of deaths). I would have liked to see a few foot soldiers interviewed also, just to get their point of view (in addition to a general, Noujaim obtained access to an officer, who defends the military point of view).

Noujaim also conscripts Khalid Abdalla, the noted actor of Kite Runner fame, to offer up an international perspective on the Egyptian situation. Abdalla, with his beautiful, cultured voice, makes perhaps the most eloquent plea, for reform in Egypt today.

I was happy to note at film's end, that the hot head revolutionary, Ahmed, seems to have calmed down a bit and shows no bitterness toward Magdy, who we learn ends up quitting the Brotherhood. Director Noujaim accomplished what she set out to do which was to capture the fervor of those who continue to engage in protests whenever the spectre of dictatorship rears its ugly head. The Square's limitation is that it's not designed to analyze the mindsets of the anti-revolutionary forces in much detail at all. What makes the 'Army' and the 'Brotherhood' tick, perhaps could be the subject of Ms. Noujaim's next documentary.

I left Egypt in July 2010 moving the the US before the events started. Since that time I never been back because of my military status. I worked so hard here with my community to support the revolution at the time.

As an Egyptian I really felt represented in this film and I felt the pain, the joy, and the tear of my people in its shots. I myself has the same stand as Magdy in the film. My father was a Muslim Brotherhood till he died in 2008. I left the Muslim Brotherhood because of the decisions they took the same way it pushed Magdy to leave it in the film.

I couldn't stop myself from crying seeing Mina Danial's mom saying in his funeral:"He asked me I'm I going to be sad if he become a martyr one day? I told him, no honey, but I'll just miss you."

I found the Egyptian people in the film and its shots. I found their smiles, their tears of joy and pain. I really forgot the taste of fighting for Egypt and losing a battle and wining the other. The feeling that no matter what we keep going till the end. This is film brought me back this spirit.

I said to one of my friends similar lines to the ones Ahmed said at the end:"Egyptians are the ones who loses their life. Whoever they are Muslims, Christians, or atheists. Egyptians are the one who loses."

The ending was really outstanding. It's really hard to end such long time line of events with these great words. It's true that we don't need a leader, or a group, all what Egypt needs is a conscious."

This film is going to be a huge impact in Egypt and on the Egyptian people once it's showed in Egypt.

Greetings again from the darkness. This is the third of this year's five Oscar nominated documentaries I have seen, and thanks to the historic Texas Theatre, I'll get to see the last two as well. This one is directed by Cairo born and Harvard educated Jehane Noujaim. She sets out to capture the Egyption Revolution, as part of the Arab Spring, and now in it's third year. This is a look from inside the core of the revolution, not a washed-over CNN report.

It should first be noted that this revolution began as more of a protest. Citizens just fed up with the Mubarek regime began congregating in Tahrir Square in hopes of influencing change and a transition to a society of conscience. Ms. Noujaim and her multitude of cameras follows a hand full of these protesters and the changes that occur inside the revolution. These changes occur as Mubarek falls, the military takes over and betrays the movement, and then the Muslim Brotherhood takes control when Mohamed Morsi wins the election. This causes the loss of solidarity in the movement as it becomes clear that the Brotherhood consorted with the military to gain power, proving their mission was quite different.

One of the faces of the revolution is Egyptian actor Khalid Abdalla who you might recognize from the fine 2007 film The Kite Runner. Abdalla speaks excellent English and is clearly passionate about the vision. His comments also drive home the difference in a protest and the politics of a true revolution. We only get a couple of on camera comments from government and military officials, but the real insight and spirit of the film is captured in the faces, words and actions of those involved in the sit-ins, despite the many violent attempts to shut them down.

The most staggering visual comes from an aerial view of Cairo as the camera captures the masses as they descend on the streets during the third uprising that we see. It's breathtaking and in stark contrast to the news reports we saw in the U.S. Unfortunately, there is still no resolution in this as Egypt is still in flux and preparing for yet another election. That brings even more power to the "in the moment" point of view that this film delivers. http://moviereviewsfromthedark.com/

this movie really touched me. it showed the real story. the story has almost been forgotten because of the media,the ruling regime,the soldiers of the old regime ... As an Egyptian and as a participant in the revolution since the 28th of January 2011,I can tell that this movie shows one of the most honest images of the revolution as well as a complete one,of course some events were dropped, but as an overall all major events and the complete story- line of the revolution has been told. Despite being a documentary,it is also very clear that the movie reserved the thriller and the spirit in every single moment. can't agree more about all the opinions stated in it. can't agree more about the sequence and the severity and reactions of the events showed in. But our (the Egyptians) major problem until now is that after 3 years we didn't accomplish the demands and the requests of the revolution. I hope there would be more parts of this movie,more parts until we reclaim our freedom and demands.

Director Jehane Noujaim delivers a riveting documentary with "The Square,"which manages to powerfully convey the chaos, complexity, and inherent dangers of a Revolutionary movement. The film boldly provides a perspective unattainable by journalists, and the activity recorded from 2011 to 2013 captures the passion and defiance of a movement first hand. The fight for a democratic Egypt is far from over, which is part of what makes the film so dynamic and riveting.

"The Square" is a documentary that traces the events of Egypt's Tahrir Square protests beginning in early 2011 when millions of people took to the streets to demand the removal of President/Dictator Hosni Mubarek, who held power for 30 years. However, when Mubarek is overthrown, the army steps in to temporarily take over the countries affairs, but does not follow through with their promises to its citizens.

After a free and fair election, the military fascist dictatorship is essentially replaced by a religious fascist dictatorship under President Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. Once again, the protesters unite and return to the Square to face a violent military oppression. It's a harrowing narrative of people twice betrayed: once by the army and again by militant Islamists who insist on a constitution based on religion instead of secularism.

Noujaim tells the story primarily through focusing on three activists, all of whom are friends. A charismatic, young artist named Ahmed Hassan, a British accented actor- turned activist Khalid Abdalla ("United 93"and "The Kite Runner"), and a family man Magdy Ashour, who is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood who finds his loyalties to his friends tested. The film's storyline follows the revolutionaries through the euphoria of victory, followed with the uncertainties and dangers while under military rule that threatens the politics of democracy.

"The Square" documents the promise and hope of a better future at the beginning, but by the end, you are left with an overwhelming sense of opportunities lost. While a more detailed back story of political maneuvering would have provided welcome context, its implications for the future are extraordinary. The revolution is a work in progress, a rebellion against an oppressive regime, and a call to arms for true democratic ideals. Informative international media outlets are few, and international news rarely generates much interest in the US. Ever more so it's the courageous filmmakers recording history with hand-held cameras that are filling the void.

I always said that the Egyptian people should win an Oscar for their revolutionary spirits, and this film proves just that!! The fact that the first Egyptian film to be nominated for an Oscar is a film about Tahrir square, is nothing short of amazing!! And the fact that it is actually banned from being screened in Egypt, is a testament to the corruption that persists.

I was too much of a coward to join the protests in Tahrir in 2011, but this film made me feel like I was right there. It takes you back on a memory lane through all the struggles that happened in the square, all the shifts and dilemmas. I was so glad that the film showed different viewpoints of people. It showed the standpoint of not just the rebellious youth but also of the opposing people in authority. It also presented the ideology of the Muslim brotherhood in a very humane way, instead of portraying them as terrorist like Egyptian media currently does. Above all, it portrayed military brutality!! And that in itself is the biggest triumph of the film since military authorities are now brainwashing people like never before.

I must say that every Egyptian needs to see this film to be reminded of the corruption of military rulers, of the thousands of souls we lost, and of the quest for freedom we all started 3 years ago, which most of us have become cynical about today.

It is sad to realize that now that the square is empty, even though the ideals that the people fought and died for are still nowhere to be found. I had actually given up on the dream that this country will ever change, but after seeing this film and seeing that there are people still fighting out there, I can hope once more.

I watched Al Midan or @Thesquarefilm yesterday. I am not quiet used to watch a movie about an affair that I lived day by day. The film has triggered lots of emotions towards what has become to be known as a revolution and I'd rather call the 2011 demonstrations that I used to join on daily basis at the time.

The movie is not bad at all and I definitely wish it would clinch an Oscar. Out of supporting a fellow Egyptian of course. Although it is not chronologically perfect and sometimes you get lost out of time , and you don't get comprehend when exactly this scene taking place in, but I guess it was quiet fair into pointing fingers at the culprits causing the ultimate failure of the demos. The revolutionaries for their Utopia kind of day dreams, the Ikhwan (MB) for being selfish and betraying the common calls of the demos for the sake of their own wishes and the military for not fulfilling their promises to the naive revolutionaries and eventually eating the whole cake alone.

The characters in the movie represent different parts of the revolutionaries spectrum but many different characters have been missed. They forgot those who got fed up with the whole thing and would rather live in tyranny once more than this mess. They forget to show the selfish Islamists still running after their dreams of running an Afghanistan kind of state.

The movie drove me through anger at myself in the beginning for being naive as well and trusting those people who ruined our dreams and towards our fellow demonstrators for daring to dream. Then, I grew into feeling sad for the people we lost along the way and for not being able to slap these selfish cunning Islamists at the face some time for doing what they did to us.

I totally recommend owning a copy of the movie once the DVD is released. The future generations have to watch it, they should know who not to trust. They should not repeat the same mistakes.

A well earned 7 out of 10 is what I would rate it.

Viewed at Los Angeles Preview, Dec. 2013: "The Square" (Al Meidan). a new documentary thriller straight from the barricades in Cairo, has received the Best Documentary of the year award and has turned out to be one of the hottest film events of the tail end of calendar year 2013. PHOTO: Ahmad Hassan, young protester rides atop a triumphant crowd in Tehrir Square

"The Square" (Tehrir Square in Cairo, scene of all the major Egyptian protest demonstrations of the past two years) a two hour long documentary on the Nightmarish 'Arab Spring' in Egypt, is an astounding personal summary of the events in Egypt from the fall of the Mubarak dictatorship in early 2011 to the rise and fall of the Moslem Brotherhood under "legally elected" Islamist president Morsi just a few months ago.

Intrepid female director, Jehane Noujaim, an American Egyptian filmmaker went to Cairo in January 2011 to witness the historical events taking place in her home town with no such ambitious film project yet in mind ..

The reality on the ground in front of her eyes in the very neighborhood where she grew up — with cataclysmic political changes already underway — prompted her to set up a team to record these unfolding events in proper professional style. She and her team stayed with the ongoing insurrection for two years, through thick and thin, focusing on the personalities of three central impromptu revolutionaries, while placing themselves directly in the line of fire.

What emerges is a you-are-there documentary that is more cinema vérité than classical documentary — like news flashes from the front lines with a Hollywood thriller plot line to boot.

Basically she followed three regular Tehrir protesters around, both on the street during life- threatening situations, and off the street in private interviews reflecting on the events in progress. One, Ahmed Hassan simply speaks straight from the shoulder with no pretensions whatsoever. Ahmed is an average guy who is convinced that the time for the common people to regain their dignity after decades of humiliation and oppression under Mubarak has finally come. He just happens to have the disarming charm and charisma of a Leonardo Di Caprio.

Khalid Abdallah is a professional British actor of Egyptian background with a Cambridge degree. In 2006 he played the leader of the Arab hijackers in Paul Greengrass's 9/11 drama "Flight 93″. In Jehane's Square he plays himself — an ordinary Egyptian with a conscience crying out for democracy. Khalid takes a more intellectual view than the others but is every bit as committed and willing to put his body on the line. His father back in England is also a longtime advocate of democracy for Egypt. We see Khalid talking to his father via SKYPE in UK to keep him abreast of happenings on the front line in the Square.

The battle lines swing back and forth. After Mubarak is toppled an interim military junta takes over. Finally the Junta agrees to hold "free elections"' however, as Hassan points out with surprising political savvy, the democratic minded opposition in The Square has no cohesive structure, so the choice becomes one between the fundamentalist minded Moslem Brotherhood, or a continuation of Mubarak style Military rule — in other words not much of a choice at all for the democracy minded activists who represent the bulk of the Egyptian populace.

The Botherhood — the "Akhwan" — win by a slim majority and Morsi takes over — as a "legally elected" president. At first even Washington supports him, but it soon becomes clear that Morsi wants to install an Islamic Dictatorship. Watching Morsi attempting to assume dictatoriaĺ powers on television Ahmed Hassan remarks wryly, "He's digging his own grave" — and then leads another charge into The Square. This time Hassan is hit by live ammo and hospitalized, but he recovers quickly and the Moslem Brotherhood regime is also toppled. But what is the new alternative?

The third central figure is Magdy, a personal friend of secular Ahmed but a committed Moslem Brotherhood believer. As events progress we witness his final disappointment and disillusion with the brotherhood in spite of his deep religious feelings. His own son is now an active demonstrator against Brotherhood oppression. At the end of the film, completed just two months ago, the military is back in the drivers seat and the nation is in limbo. In a final sequence the three main figures agree that the opposition is too unstructured and that what is needed is a new constitution — and a new consciousness — but this will take time to work out.

As the year 2014 opens the situation in Egypt is still up in the air with the military cracking down severely, much as was the case under Mubarak. The question now is what is worse?– the military or the Islamists — and will democracy in some form still have a chance?

On very limited release in November 2013 this amazing film was seen by almost nobody because NETFLIX who own the rights, allotted Zero publicity budget. However, The power of Jehane Noujaim's film is such that, if it gets an Oscar in March on top of the Best Documentary distinction already earned it may become an international cause celèbre and may then reach enough people to make a real difference on the ground — not only in Egypt but elsewhere as well. In any case this is a film absolutely not to miss simply as a cinematic adventure that is sure to become a landmark if and when the final chapter of the Arab Spring is ever written.

"The leaders play on top. The people pay the price for everything. The people always pay the price." To commemorate the one-year anniversary of the political uprising and tragic bloodshed of an African nation demanding a justified revolution, this review will cover the inspirational, immersive and intense film known as 'Al-Midan' (The Square). However, did this documentary exceed in truly capturing the essence of a nation in one of its most dire eras? Let's take a look.

Directed by Jehane Noujaim (Control Room), this 2013 Egyptian-American documentary depicts the ongoing roller-coaster ride of tumultuous political affairs, deriving from its roots back in 2011 in Tehrir Square to the summer of 2013. Casting its ballot of a budget at only $1.5 million, the unfortunate outcome was a return only slightly more than a tenth of that at the box office. However, the film did receive a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 86th Academy Awards and was the first film through Kickstarter (crowd-sourced) to do so. That may have been thanks to the five editors who worked on the film as well, not to mention the five "additional editors" and six assistant editors mentioned in the end credits, but who's counting? The Revolution in Egypt has been a continuing political drama over the past two and a half years. For most people, the news will only provide a glimpse of one of the bloodiest political battles, an election and a million man march. The handful of characters we do meet at the start of the uprising revolution discuss covering their own footage with cameras, as the news will only show so much. These maneuvers and a number of YouTube videos are our main characters' only windows of the outside world around them gone hellishly awry; ravenous for rightful restitution amidst streets slathered with rioters, tanks and tear gas. The characters we are introduced to are only a fraction of the tens of hundreds of thousands fighting for their voices to be heard in claiming their rights, including actor Khalid Abdalla (United 93) during the reign of the corrupt Muslim Brotherhood and the leering presence of the threatening Revolutionary.

At the beginning of the film, we witness the deposal of the fourth president, Hosni Mubarak, after his nearly two-decade long term. Now, political unrest has arisen and the people demand a new leader. When President Mohamed Morsi wins the election as the fifth president of Egypt, his abrupt term is halted after he grants himself unlimited powers on the pretext that he will "protect" the nation from the Mubarak-era power structure. He also gives himself the power to legislate without judicial oversight or review of his acts. In late November, he issues an Islamist-backed draft constitution and calls for a referendum, an act that his opponents call an "Islamist coup". These issues, along with complaints of prosecutions of journalists and attacks on nonviolent demonstrators, brings hundreds of thousands of protesters to the streets in the 2012 Egyptian protests. It is these actions that erupt the nation into frenzy, with protesters by the millions calling for the resignation of Morsi. He is later tried for charges of incitement of murder and violence, along with espionage. As of now, the nation is hopefully awaiting a new leader who will indefinitely bring about peace and rest once again to the nation of Egypt.

'The Square' indeed does this daring documentary justice in capturing the raw, uncut footage and bringing it to vivid life not only as a picture of grueling chaos but also as an art form. Like the cuts to the mural of the wall in the film being painted every now and then, so too are the voices of the people in Tehrir Square in all of their varying colors. Many voices, one plea. Many colors, one portrait. Together the people forget their differences and stand as one by the thousands upon thousands to form their own "wall" that stands against the powers polluting their precious homeland. No matter how many "bricks" are lost from their wall, the people are all the stronger in their fight. The shots of a man's stretched, distorted face upon it being run over from a panzer or a young man assassinated for attending the protest without informing his parents first are daunting and grotesque, but they emphasize the desperation of a people seeking freedom. Even one of our main characters, Ahmed Hassan, gets a gash in his head from some rocks thrown at him. Some up-close shots in the film show the paint running in the heat down the wall, paralleling the people in the street sacrificing their blood for a dream they so desperately believe in. With each stroke of a brush, they too are painting the way on a path toward a democratic society and a brighter future. Like the mural, though unfinished, the revolution is a process, and getting there will be a long journey.

Astonishingly intimate, courageous, complex and relentlessly gripping, Noujaim succeeds in risking a few years of her life to chronicle a giant mark in world history that is shown as deeply upsetting as it is yet ultimately hopeful to the viewer amidst an ever-shifting political culture. The two-year look at history in less than two hours is hard to digest at first but satisfactorily sums up a truly complicated and twisted predicament that one can only applaud afterward.

I'd followed the stories in the news and used the timelines and animations on the New York Times website to put events in order and try to understand what was happening in Egypt, but documentary film making in the last several years has presented itself as an invaluable opportunity for human connection where newsprint, blogging and television news broadcasts fall short. These are the faces of the people involved with the revolutionary movement in Egypt. The faces that you can watch, second by second, as the emotion in their faces evolve from shock, to understanding, to rage, to determination. In place of a pretty girl whose makeup and hair has just been done, reading off of a sheet of paper, perhaps tripping over the pronunciation of some words, you have Ahmed, Magdy, Khalid, Dina, and Ramy running or standing resolute in Tahrir Square as first Mubarek, then the military regime, then Muslim Brotherhood supporters try to crush, depress, or manipulate the cause of the Egyptian people gathered there.

It is such a vital, clarifying experience to put faces to the numbers, names, and body count reports and to see the people of Egypt as their struggle was documented, to understand that their world does not disappear after the two hour film is finished and the credits roll. That world is not far away. It is here. We are all living here. It is inaccurate to think of a group of individuals in a movement, or a political or religious group and negate the fact that the individual precedes the group as an existence. Even in a group or country that staunchly identifies itself as a group and not as individuals. Each conscious mind is brought up being taught this value and this belief, but no mind is above self-actualization and self-awareness that recognizes that your love, your interests, your source of empowerment and inspiration are unique to you and are realized at different times in each lifetime. This conflict is shown most clearly in Magdy, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, which supports his family and his way of life and has done for decades, who also sympathizes with the words of his friend Ahmed, a revolutionary, who calls out the Brotherhood for making deals with the military to assume power. What may have taken a man 60 years to internalize may take another man just 10 or 20. Our minds are unique, but that doesn't mean we aren't connected, that we aren't capable of empathy and recognizing that despite our differences we come from the same place. Billions of light refractions that are all part of the same light. When a large amount of these refractions come together to form one shaft of light another realization is illuminated in the history of human evolution. A new way to live, an actualization of a possibility. These innumerable possibilities coexist, but nothing changes until we decide to focus our light on them, to open our eyes and move from observer to arbiter... http://funkyforestfirstcontact.wordpress.com

Filmmaker Jehane Noujaim set herself an impossible task with "The Square": to tell the story of an ongoing revolution in a feature-length documentary.

There have been at least four versions of the film since January this year — as events continued to unfold, more footage was added. In its different forms, the film has been extremely well-received abroad, winning awards, nominations and critical acclaim

Noujaim used footage shot by herself and others. She follows a handful of activists — most intensively, a charismatic young man called Ahmed Hassan and British-Egyptian actor Khalid Abdalla — and the action almost exclusively consists of protests and clashes on the one hand and urgent conversations in apartments on the other. Sound-bites from two interviews with smug army and police officials are interspersed throughout, as well as the odd snippet from speeches by presidents and their military nemeses: Hosni Mubarak and Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, Mohamed Morsi and Abdel Fattah AL-Sisi. There is an emphasis on the importance of video documentation: often we watch characters watching computer screens — showing each other videos of atrocities, or Khalid talking to Skype.

The footage has clearly been filmed skillfully and bravely: the camera runs up with a charge against security forces in the frantic battle on Mohamed Mahmoud Street, it enters field hospitals, it confronts soldiers, it shows military vehicles running people over.

The first half of the film — one presumes the large part of the director's first cut — serves as a good chronology of the street protests and as such is a useful reminder of what happened in what order. It is also not a bad thing to be forced to watch footage that you haven't seen since the events, or couldn't watch at the time.

The characters say things that sum up the mood of each moment. At the beginning, Ahmed, a great central protagonist in that he talks very eloquently using simple language, says "We are all reflections of each other" and "All of Egypt will be like Tahrir." After the sibilance around Mubarak's resignation, the characters soon realize that the regime has not fallen: "Our biggest mistake was to leave the square" they say, and then: "We do trust the army, but…"

Protests start against military rule. We relive the shock of realizing for the first time that "the police and the army are standing together!" as someone shouts. Ramy Essam, a singer who also has a strong presence at the beginning of the film, is one of those arrested by the military and tortured in the Egyptian Museum. While the scenes of Essam immediately following his torture are extremely powerful, Noujaim does' t pull too much on our heartstrings. (The "virginity tests" happening at the same place and time are not mentioned.)

At this point we see the old electrocution scars of the film's Islamist character, an often skeptical Muslim Brotherhood member called Magdy Ashour, from his times in prison under Mubarak. His young daughter talks about the violent arrests that used to take place at their house.

Then the film shows the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood. It's the first time we see praying in "The Square." Chants for an Islamic state. Magdy says, "Some Brotherhood leaders make deals with the army." Ahmed says, " The Brotherhood ruined the sit-in." People argue about whether the country is ready for elections.

Then there is Maspero, October 2011. The footage of the massacre is very clear, as is the footage of squashed faces of dead people deliberately run over by military vehicles, as is the footage of Mina Danial's shocked parents, his elderly father looking vacant, lost, unbelieving. It is awful. Hospitals refusing to stamp autopsies. Amid scenes of candles and tears, there is a shot of a military man half-smiling, saying "Who started attacking first?"

The following month, it's the Mohamed Mahmoud clashes. Magdy joins against Brotherhood orders. Scenes of the violence and scenes of Ahmed, looking white and shaky for the first time, talking to the camera: " People are falling one by one just because they're saying 'Down with military rule'," he says. "Too many bullets … I'm going to explode." Soon enough he's hit in the head, the camera blacks out, we're in a field hospital.

A laughing army official: "The army made the revolution. You kids know nothing."

So far, so good: not a new perspective on the events, but a fairly gripping and clear narrative of what was happening on the streets of downtown Cairo in the first year of the revolution.

But as things get more complicated, the film simplifies more and there is less footage and less information. We rush through Morsi's election, through his outrageous constitutional amendments, through the presidential palace protests.

Throughout, there are close-ups of graffiti being made, paint dripping on shoes to the sound of romantic music.

Maintaining this air of romance around the square is outdated, if not completely false. The hopeful friendship of Magdy and Ahmed has surely not been able to survive the Rabea massacre. Alongside the abrupt ending, this insistence on romance and unity undermines the strong criticisms of military rule in the first half of the film.

The idea of keeping a film alive and changing as times change is exciting and full of potential, but it would have to lose its clear narrative, reflect the complications and chaos of the present as it moves forward. The film in question here is very well-crafted, especially the beginning. But in the end, perhaps it was overambitious and not quite radical, or even revolutionary, enough.

well done Jehane 910 !

This is how documentary movie should be

As an Egyptian and as a participant in the revolution since the 28th of January 2011 ,I can tell that this movie shows one of the most honest images of the revolution as well as a complete one of course some events were dropped, but as an overall all major events and the complete story- line of the revolution has been told.

This movie made us as Egyptians felt very proud of what we have done and what will we do in the future and made me fell that we deserve more than leader we deserve a suitable life

it really touched me and made me cry on most of its parts what a great movie it really deserve Oscar

The country of Egypt is a complete mess and so is this documentary. Throughout the whole documentary, I could not tell what was going on. Director Jehane Noujaim takes clips from several video cameras and places them in a confusing order. The film starts with the Egyption's president Hosni Mubarak stepping down from office, to the current results of what is happening now. I confess the shots we see here are horrific and if you are not aware of the situation, perhaps this film will tell you in a nutshell. Some of these shots include a live recording of the soldiers shooting down pedestrians and running them over with trucks. I was hoping for more in depth understanding of the people, the government, or the city itself. It does not even explain why these people are still revolting at the Square. Still, it's not like we haven't seen this on the news or the Internet. The editing is by far the poorest. Even with all this great footage, it was unorganized, confusing, and hard to follow where Noujaim was going. It's like having the recipe for delicious brownies without knowing how to cook. Watch the news more and that will suffice.

First hand footage of the one of the most important political events in these times.

All I can think is that we're very lucky to have these images that reconstruct such a story: kids start an important revolution that is hijacked by an organized religious group and see, in front of their eyes and their martyr-like effort shattered dreams of a democratic forward-looking country.

With many countries following suit and falling in the same traps, this is a history lesson being unfolded in front of our eyes. The flickering and bad cameras cannot minimize the pure gold that comes from the screens. It's like having footage from the bastille or of the Russian revolution.

A must see.

A cautionary tale for all revolutionaries.

Most importantly, "The Square" brings cohesion and clarity to the story of Egypt's ongoing revolution since the Arab Spring that began nearly 4 years ago today. The film is structured into chapters of each power- shifting protest that has made its way into western media over the past few years, and we follow a few revolutionaries to get their perspectives on the reasons of each protest movement and their thoughts on the aftermath. Their words are as perceptive and inspirational as the footage shown of their fellow Egyptians, and by the end this documentary makes a cautionary and exciting case for both the future of Egypt and of ours as a global community. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, "You will never be what you ought to be until they are what they ought to be."

The Square is about an Egyptian Uprising. They want a new government with a new President. People should watch this to learn about what's happening around the world that a lot of us don't know about. The Square is about Egyptians living in Poverty, Injustice, and Corruption. What happens is the public protests in Tahrir Square (you don't have freedom of speech in Egypt) and is able to have President Mubarak step down. The public has completely filled Tahrir Square and the Military steps in to try and control it and then all heck breaks loose. I liked how dedicated these people are for fighting for what they believe in. I recommend this documentary to anybody who cares about what's going on around the world.

The Square was hard to watch. I could never imagine living somewhere, where the people in power are able to leave everyone poor and only provide for themselves. I could never imagine being uneducated for being poor. I could never imagine my country punishing me for speaking my mind and standing my ground. I could never imagine my Dictator having the military kill innocent people.This is a good example of when America should step in and do something to fix what they've allowed other countries to do.I was amused when they had an election to make others think they were changing to a democracy country. I would recommend this documentary to any one that is a revolutionary.

In the beginning of this film I felt a sense of overwhelming joy for the protesters for their accomplishments...but then the real revolution begins again and again. Being a U.S. citizen, where life and circumstances aren't nearly as bad as I thought after watching the first 15 minutes of this film, it is important to be aware of the struggles around the globe that go on to ensure the things we may take for granted.

After the first round of protesting was over, I thought there would be reasons for the protesters to celebrate. Although, that was not the case. The protests seemed to dig a deeper hole for the revolutionaries. But they didn't give up...the people of Egypt never lost sight of their purpose and to fight for what they believed in...freedom! They have outstanding hope and integrity. I believe what they are experienced is horrible and they will overcome the tragedy and mistreatment and ruling. They will have their freedom