From 29-31 October, the Frontline Club is hosting screenings as part of the Green Caravan Film Festival, a travelling festival of environmental and socially conscious films. The full lineup can be found here.
This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Anna Roussillon via Skype.
January 2011 in Egypt was marked by anti-government demonstrations. While tens of thousands of protestors gathered in Cairo, poor villagers in the country’s south followed the tense situation in Tahrir Square on their TV screens and in the daily newspapers. It is from their perspective that this documentary captures the political changes in Egypt, from the toppling of President Mubarak to the election of Mohamed Morsi. I Am the People reveals the villagers’ hopes and disappointments and shows that, despite the wild events, very little has actually changed in their lives.
The film presents a charming, funny and fascinating portrait of one family in Egypt’s rural South, as they follow the Tahrir uprising, charting their progression from amused distant observers of the events in Cairo through their increasing engagement and politicisation. Beautifully filmed, I Am The People offers a refreshing perspective on the Arab Spring and its aftermath, and shows with great intimacy the ways in which the events have touched ordinary lives away from the square.
Directed by: Anna Roussillon
Produced by: Thomas Micoulet, Karim Aitouna, Malik Menaï
Runtime: 110′
Year: 2014
Country: France
In Mubarak’s Egypt, director Charlie Smith investigates America’s role during the final years of Hosni Mubarak’s regime. By then Egypt, once the Arab world’s most important power, had become a regional bit-player stagnating in corruption and cronyism. Smith shows how successive US presidents tried to force Mubarak to reform and how, along with most of Egypt’s population, Washington finally ran out of patience.
With contributions from many of the leading players in Cairo – such as Mubarak’s Foreign Minister, Adel Aboul Gheit, and cabinet minister Farouk Hosni – the film show how revolution became the only option left to the millions betrayed by the rule of a modern-day pharaoh.
The film also shows how Mubarak’s fall marked a watershed for America’s role in the Middle East. US witnesses include Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, George Bush’s adviser Elliott Abrams, and Assistant Secretary of State Mike Posner.
Directed by Charlie Smith
Duration: 90
Year: 2014
On the day the 2014 Academy Awards Nominations were announced, the Frontline Club hosted a screening of The Square. After winning the Audience Award at both Sundance and the Toronto International Film Festival, the film is now in the run-up for an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.
The Square portrays the Egyptian revolution and some of its passionate activists, including British–Egyptian actor and filmmaker Khalid Abdalla (The Kite Runner, 2007), who was present for a Q&A together with cinematographer Cressida Trew.
Documenting from the early days of Egypt’s uprising against Hosni Mubarak to the aftermath of Mohamed Morsi’s ousting by the military, American–Egyptian director Jehane Noujaim’s film follows ‘revolutionaries’ Abdalla, Ahmed Hassan and Magdy Ashour as they live, and fight, through three years of revolution.
Coming from three generations that have been fighting for political reform in Egypt, and with his father in the audience, Abdalla explained he finds it problematic to answer questions about “what does now tell us about where we are going”. In response to a question about the current situation, he said he would rather look at what is moving people and what this can “tell us about where we come from and where we are headed”.
The film’s delivery was almost as problematic as its production. According to Abdalla and Trew, the documentary had several cuts because of the tumultuous and constantly changing events taking place. On her way to the film’s premiere at Sundance, director Noujaim realised events were unfolding in Egypt, that had to be included. The Square is now in its third cut.
“We had terabytes of footage,” said Trew, who said she joined the production team when she met Noujaim in Tahrir Square.
“It’s textbook on how you should never film a documentary.”
She explained filming the documentary was a very collaborative effort, with only little direction because of the constantly shifting and unpredictable events.
“We were bobbing around on this massive tide, this sea change. All you could do is follow your guts,” she said.
She added that it was the first time she had seen that version of the film.
Abdalla said that despite the struggle and unpredictable nature of Egypt’s revolution he was determined to continue the fight for change.
“At no point of the story did we know what the story was,” he said.
“We’re going through a massive shift. It’s possible that things will die down, but for this kind of stability that is fetishised you need the circumstances that ignited this revolution to go away.”
“As long as I’m not certain that in six to eight months time the balance of power won’t be the same as it is today, then we’ll be living in a revolution.”
“The Oscar [nomination] is great, it’s great that it might be able to be seen in Egypt,” said Abdalla, referring to the fact that that the film has yet to have a public showing in the north African country. The 2014 Academy Award winners will be announced on Sunday 2 March.
The film is now available to view on NetFlix. To stay up to date on the developments on the film, follow them on twitter, find the film on facebook or go to the film’s website.
]]>“These are tear gas canisters made in the USA and this in my opinion epitomises the whole story in the Middle East in the last few decades.”
Renowned broadcaster Yosri Fouda began the evening recounting a pivotal moment in the Egyptian revolution. On the 1st of the 18 days of protests that engulfed Cairo, when he stood with this evening’s host Lyse Doucet and watched protestors re-launching tear gas at the Egyptian police.
“That was the most important day in the Egyptian revolution. The so-called Friday of wrath, the day when Mubarak’s forces were defeated by the people… the real story began from that day on.”
Moving beyond the giddy euphoria of Mubarak’s deposition, Fouda acknowledged concerns over the recent election of an Islamist President, but stressed that the revolution continues.
“We still have a revolution. I understand the frustrations of many people both inside and outside Egypt. But this is a revolution. Revolutions take years and years.”
Referring to the split between the revolutionary forces in Egypt, Fouda described a diverse set of aims.
“The trouble is that we have three main parties in Egypt and each main party has their own concept of what Egypt’s revolution is all about, or must be about. We have the army, the Islamists and the hard core of Tahrir Square. For the army it was about getting rid of the cronies. For the Islamists it was about reaching the Assembly and that’s it. But for the hard core, they have their own idea of where the revolution should end.”
Whilst some members of the passionate Frontline Club audience expressed their fears and mistrust of these forces, Fouda sought to allay concerns and stated that diversity of opinion was critical for Egypt’s future.
“Egypt will never lend itself to only one force. We’ve been learning this and I think this learning process will remain for a long time to come. Egypt, before the revolution, was like a house consisting of five or six rooms. Everyone was living in their own room locked up and they didn’t know who lived in the next room. Suddenly, something big happened that forced everybody out in to the living room. And everyone’s saying “Who are you?”…Until today each force flirts with the idea that they can have all of Egypt and it’s going to take some time before we realise that Egypt is big enough for everyone.”
In an animated Q&A session, Fouda responded to worries over religious freedoms for minority groups and fragmentation within the country with a message of hope.
“We don’t want a President to teach religion. If I vote it’s because I want a President to serve me, not teach me about religion… I’m interested in simple concepts. Justice. The rule of law…To change a culture and mentality will take time. A third of Egyptian’s can’t read or write. What’s most important is working on the ground, opening doors.”
Watch the full event here:
With the presidential elections scheduled at end of May, a possible run-off mid June and the trial verdict of President Hosni Mubarak expected, Goodbye Mubarak goes back to the period before Egypt’s leader was ousted by the people.
The film examines the anger and discontent brewing in the country before people took to the streets on 25 January 2011. Filmed in late 2010, it shows the impact of the November legislative elections and the people’s outrage amid charges of ballot fixing, bullying and dirty tricks by Mubarak’s National Democratic Party.
Having recently travelled back to Egypt for the first time after shooting the film, Katia Jarjoura will share her experience and insight on the current situation in Egypt 18 months after the start of the uprising.
Followed by a Q&A with director Katia Jarjoura
Directed by: Katia Jarjoura
Year: 2011
Running Time: 72′
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A key element to the Arab Spring was the role of social media in giving momentum to the revolution. In countries such as Egypt, Facebook and Twitter have been used as a democratizing force, a platform for activists to share ideas.
At last night’s #FCBBCA event Wired UK’s editor at large Ben Hammersley spoke to Wael Ghonim about his creation of one of the most influential of these platforms. We Are All Khaled Said – a Facebook page commemorating the 28-year-old man who died by the hands of Egyptian police in June 2010 – attracted 36,000 people in just 24 hours.
Ghonim spoke of the affinity he felt with Khaled Said:
"I could just have been him under the same circumstances – someone could kill me and no-one pays the price, and at the same time I think that we are all Khaled Said because we are going to get his rights.”
Ghonim believes that this sentiment was spread among the Egyptian people, saying, “We all knew that Khaled Said was not the first guy who died by security forces.” When 300 people had signed up to the page within 3 minutes, he said it gave him hope that he was not alone.
But he is nothing if not modest, and he seemed reluctant to take any credit for his role in sparking the uprisings. Yes, the power of the internet allowed people to connect with each other, but real change had to be physical. He said, “The revolution had to happen on the street.”
He was quick to praise the revolution in Tunisia:
“Tunisia should get all the credit because the Egyptians were angry, mad, frustrated; we wanted to see change – but everyone was saying there is no hope and no-one had envisioned how this would happen.”
The Egyptian authorities must have seen Ghonim as somewhat of a threat, however, because on 27 January they arrested him. He was detained for 11 days, and although the fear was unimaginable, he was only grateful that he wasn’t subjected to physical torture, like so many of his fellow activists. While in jail he spoke to his guards, who he refuses to see as the enemy.
Ghonim spoke of the importance of the choice of the Egyptian people.
"If the people choose to support the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, let them; they have voted for him; they have engaged themselves in a healthy democratic process."
He dismisses the view that Egyptians – and, indeed, other activists in the Arab World – were props of western governments seeking to overthrow dictators:
“Any of these conspiracies is a direct insult to the sacrifices of the Egyptian people and to the amazing things that they have done: they were determined, they wanted something to happen and it happened.”
With Tahrir Square still alive with protest one year later, when asked what his future plans are, Ghonim told Hammersley, “I’m a spontaneous guy.”
]]>By Nicole Hunt
Anders Behring Breivik, the man who admitted to setting off the 22 July bomb in Oslo, killing eight people, before killing 69 people on the island of Utoya, makes his first public appearance at Oslo City Court on Monday. On 12 September, the court rejected a police request for another closed door hearing, meaning media and victims’ families will be able to attend.
In Geneva, the UN Global Fund releases the findings of a four-month independent review into its financial safeguards, following accusations of mismanagement of funds in recipient countries.
Monday is also the six month anniversary of the beginning of military action in Libya. Forces from the US, the UK, France, Canada, UAE and Qatar began enforcing the no-fly zone authorised by UN Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973 on 19 March.
The trial of seven Italian scientists charged with manslaughter for failing to predict the April 2009 earthquake that killed over 300 people kicks off in L’Aquila on Tuesday. The scientists, who made up the city’s Great Risks Commission, are accused of failing to warn people of the potential risk of an earthquake and convincing people not to leave town a week before the earthquake struck.
In a Paris court, former News of the World chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck and representatives for News Group Newspapers appear charged with breaching France’s privacy and defamation laws in relation to a 2008 story about former FIA president Max Mosley. Mosley was awarded £60,000 in damages by the UK High Court in 2008, but the European Court of Human Rights rejected an application by Mosley in May that would have required media to inform a person before publishing a story containing their private information.
Amid concerns of potential post-election violence, Zambians go to the polls to elect their president and members of the National Assembly. Levy Mwanawasa won the 2006 election, but died in August 2008 and was replaced by Rupiah Banda, who is seeking his first full term.
The UN General Assembly general debate opens in New York on Wednesday, with all eyes on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who, barring last-minute diplomatic developments, is expected to seek a unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood.
On Thursday, a verdict is expected in the first case brought in under France’s ‘burka ban’ laws. Two women in the town of Meaux were arrested for wearing the niqab veil in May, with one of them banned from attending the last hearing because her face was still covered.
At the UN General Assembly, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe are both scheduled to speak. Ahmadinejad’s past speeches have prompted walkouts from some delegations, while Mugabe’s have typically been anti-western. British Prime Minister David Cameron, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ivorian President Alassane Ouatarra are also on the bill.
The week draws to a close with some high-profile court hearings and elections. Closing arguments are set to begin in Amanda Knox’s murder appeal in Perugia on Friday, while Egyptian courts are busy with the testimony of ruling military council member Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi at former President Hosni Mubarak’s trial on Saturday in Cairo, as well as the verdict in the Khaled Said murder trial in Alexandria. Two policemen are on trial for Said’s June 2010 death, which prompted widespread protests in Egypt at a time when police were rarely prosecuted.
In Bahrain, by-elections are held to replace 11 opposition lawmakers who resigned in March over government crackdowns on anti-regime protesters.
French Senate elections take place on Sunday, with half of the 346 seats up for grabs. Party performances will be closely watched ahead of next year’s presidential elections.
In Freiburg, Pope Benedict XVI wraps up a four-day visit to Germany to celebrate the 60th anniversary of his ordination as a priest
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By Nicole Hunt
This week is filled with high-profile trials and judgements around the world, kicking off on Monday with six big-name hearings, including several former world leaders: ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, his sons and former Interior Minister Habib Al Adly are all on trial over protester deaths in Cairo; former French President Jacques Chirac’s corruption trial resumes in Paris; former Icelandic Prime Minister Geir Haarde’s trial for negligence over the country’s banking collapse starts in Reykjavik; former Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa’s ‘Patria’ corruption trial begins in Ljubljana; Rwandan opposition leader Victoire Ingabire goes on trial in Kigali for promoting genocide; and Sizwe Mankazana, who was driving the car which crashed and killed Nelson Mandela’s great-granddaugther on the eve of last year’s World Cup faces the court in Johannesburg.
The focus is on austerity in Europe on Tuesday, as Italy braces for a general strike over debt-cutting measures proposed by Silvio Berlusconi’s government.
In Berlin, the German government begins a four-day debate of its 2012 budget. Wednesday’s general debate with Chancellor Angela Merkel coincides with the country’s Contitutional Court’s decision on a constitutional challenge to a May 2010 law guaranteeing the maintenance of Greece’s financial stability and solvency, authorising up to €22.4bn in loans.
In Algiers, the Algerian government hosts a two-day conferennce on regional security, focusing on the threat from Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
Back to the Paris courts on Thursday, where the verdict is expected in the trial of disgraced fashion designer John Galliano, who is accused of hurling anti-Semitic abuse at a member of the public in February.
Meanwhile, a hearing is scheduled to formalise the extradition of former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega, who was convicted of money laundering last summer and sentenced to seven years in prison. He is expected to be sent back to Panama, where he has been sentenced in absentia to 60 years in prison for human rights violations committed between 1983 and 1989.
G7 Finance Ministers begin a two-day meeting in Marseille on Friday. Officials from the EU, IMF and World Bank also attend to discuss issues ahead of the IMF/World Bank annual autumn meetings later this month.
The Rugby World Cup kicks off in Auckland with New Zealand v Tonga. The tournament runs until 23, October.
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou delivers his annual economic address at the Thessaloniki Trade Fair on Saturday. Unions and activists plan to hold demonstrations outside the fair, protesting against the government’s austerity measures.
Sunday marks the 10th anniversary of the 11 September, 2001 attacks on the United States. President Barack Obama and former President George W Bush are among those attending a memorial service at Ground Zero, which begins at 8:40am EDT to mark the time the first plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Centre.
While all eyes are on the US, Guatemalans will quietly elect a new President. A planned bid by Sandra Torres, ex-wife of current President Alvaro Colom, was ruled unconstitutional. The couple divorced to enable Torres to run, hoping to circumvent a law that ruled the President’s spouse ineligible.
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There has not yet been a full revolution in Egypt, but it will be the sense of optimism and possibility of change that brought the country to its current state that will enable the people to overcome the challenges ahead.
There is a need for massive economic change, the army remains "on top and in the driving seat" but British-Egyptian actor, producer and activist Khalid Abdalla said at the Frontline Club on Tuesday that it was his "duty" to remain optimistic because that is what had changed since people took to the streets on 25 January and toppled President Hosni Mubarak 18 days later.
"Right now, in terms of a revolution, in terms of a revolutionary spirit, the ability to go down into the streets in huge numbers to force sweeping change, to believe that that is possible right now, we are in a hiaitus," said Abdalla.
"There is a confusion right now amongst activists and people who were working to make change as to whether we begin to focus on elections, or do we still focus on many of the important human rights issues, like military trials and freedom of speech."
Brian Whitaker, The Guardian‘s Middle East editor from 2000-2007, who is currently an editor on the paper’s Comment Is Free section, said that when he was researching for his book What’s Really Wrong with the Middle East there was a sense that there was nothing that could be done:
"The real revolutionary change that’s happened is that that has simply gone away. There’s now an attitude that there are things that can be done if enough people get on with it."
Dr Maha Azzam, associate fellow of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House agreed that optimism and energy were "fundamental" in order to carry through change and bring about revolution.
But the situation remains a "mixed picture" because of those elements of society that want security and stability, said Dr Azzam, who said it was important that the activists continue to set the agenda in the face of attempts to quell the opposition:
"The street is in the more powerful position because it can still twist the arm of the military, by which I mean the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, because they are in a vulnerable position. They’re of a dying generation, both in terms of age, but also in terms of its mentality and politics. Each time it’s felt it’s cornered it made concessions. It’s not an easy task to put on the activists, but the street is theirs, the right to protest is a democratic right and so long as they continue down that path, they can embrace thier objectives and push for them."
Rosemary Hollis, professor of Middle East policy studies and director of the Olive Tree Programme at City University, said that it was now "completely beyond the power" of Westerners to control the narrative:
"It already was, and now the Arabs have risen up and said even less so because the revolutions were against the dictators that [the West] kept at its convenience."
But no one in the region is buying the idea that more liveral capitalism the way the Europeans do it is the answer, unless the Europeans recognise that they have had certain advantages structurally, globally that are going to have to be given up now.
… the structural changes that will have to be made will go down very poorly with with the liberal capitalist governments in Europe because they will want to say the poor will have to take the pain in order to restructure the economy and of course the rich have to get richer because you have to encourage them to invest."
Khalid Abdalla agreed that there was a strong relationship between what happened in the Middle East and the crisis of capitalism world over and that what was happening in the Middle East was a "restructuring of discourses" that was forcing the West to reappraise itself, not just its relationships with the region but in many policy areas.
Currently activists are under attack and being accused of being foreign spies or funded by foreign regimes said Abadalla, adding that there were problems with well meaning people coming from the West wanting to help or donate funds.
]]>First of all there is the major issue that coming to Egypt can be unhelpful because right now it is being used politically, but also secondly, I don’t think the West on the whole and its NGOs and policy makers have yet woken up to what the revolutions in the Arab world are telling them to realise about themselves and I think that’s something that will take lots of time.
Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak returns to court on Monday. Along with his sons Alaa and Gamal he appears charged with premeditated murder in connection with the deaths of protesters during the 25 January revolution.
Monday also sees the publication of Japan’s Q2 stats. The country’s GDP shrank 3.7 per cent in Q1, largely attributed to the 11 March disasters, and a similar decline is expected as the country copes with power shortages following the nuclear crisis.
It’s the turn of Europe to brace itself for GDP figures on Tuesday, with the official publication of the euro zone GDP figures. Publication comes amid recent fears growing over the global economy and the recent agreement to give Greece a second bailout.
Eyes are drawn to the International Criminal Court on Wednesday, as former UN employee Callixte Mbarushimana appears charged with five counts of crimes against humanity in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2009. Mbarushimana is also believed to have been involved in the Rwandan genocide, but has never been charged over the atrocities.
Angola also hosts a summit of the Southern African Development Community in Luanda on Wednesday. The two-day affair is expected to focus on Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his refusal to fully implement the Global Political Agreement, as well as the recent fuel protests in Malawi.
Pope Benedict XVI makes an apostolic journey to Madrid on Thursday, to attend a gathering of Catholic youth to mark World Youth Day. Visit includes a Holy Mass at Cuatro Vientos Airport on 21 August.
In the UK, thousands of students learn what their future holds when A Level results are published on Thursday, and students scramble for (often) oversubscribed university places.
Friday sees the last day in office for Romanian Health Minister Attila Cseke, who tendered his resignation earlier this month following a dispute over funds for his brief. Under Romanian law Cseke had to continue his post for 15 days at a maximum until Prime Minister Emil Boc nominated a successor.
On Saturday the UN Panel of inquiry, led by former New Zealand Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer, is expected to release its report. The report has been delayed several times, most recently from 27 July, and could well be postponed again.
The 2011 Homeless World Cup begins on Sunday, giving homeless and socially marginalised players from across the world the opportunity to represent their country at the beautiful game.
On Sunday a national memorial service takes place in Norway, commemorating the 77 people who were killed in the 22 July Oslo bombing and Utoya shootings. Ceremony takes place in Oslo Spektrum and was announced by Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg ‘to take care of each other and show compassion’.
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