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One year after the beginning of the protest that changed the Arab World comes this documentary from HBO.
They took over a city square and in 18 days brought down a regime that had ruled
for 30 years. Emmy®-winning documentary filmmakers Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill were on the scene in Cairo, capturing the sights, sounds and passion of a modern-day revolution.
IN TAHRIR SQUARE: 18 DAYS OF EGYPT’S UNFINISHED REVOLUTION brings viewers into the streets of Cairo to experience first-hand what began as a small,
peaceful demonstration and quickly grew into a revolutionary movement that would force
the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak. The exclusive HBO2 documentary debuts WEDNESDAY JAN. 25 (8:00-8:45 p.m. ET/PT).
Other HBO2 playdate: Jan. 29 (11:45 a.m., 5:15 a.m.)
Watch In Tahrir Square: 18 days of Egypt´s Unfinished Revolution Trailer Video
Watch In Tahrir Square: 18 days of Egypt´s Unfinished Revolution Second Trailer Video
On Jan. 25, 2011, thousands of Egyptians from all walks of life and every social
class began gathering in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Bolstered by similar protests in other Arab countries and mobilized in part by social media, they were there to demand the end to President Hosni Mubarak’s three-decade rule. Directors Alpert and O’Neill immerse the viewer in the world of the protestors, from the peaceful first days of the uprising through the deadly battles between pro-Mubarak forces and anti-Mubarak demonstrators.
At the center of IN TAHRIR SQUARE is young Egyptian-American journalist Sharif
Abdel Kouddous, who leads cameras into Tahrir and provides insightful accounts of those
tense days. Part of a family of prominent Egyptian journalists – his grandfather was a famous writer and his uncle, also a journalist, is a longtime Mubarak foe and prominent member of the Muslim Brotherhood – Kouddous attended Duke University and is currently a correspondent and producer for the American radio and TV show “Democracy Now!” His tweets and live reporting from Tahrir Square attracted international attention.
Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians ultimately participated in the protests at Tahrir Square, and nearly 850 were killed. On Feb. 11, 2011, the 18th day, more than a million
Egyptians joined the revolution in the square and witnessed the surprise announcement
by Egypt’s vice president that Mubarak would step down. At that historic moment of Egyptian pride, the crowd rejoiced, chanting in unison, “Lift your head up, you’re
Egyptian,” and “God is great!” On the phone to an American news broadcast, an
emotional Kouddous reported, “Everyone is proud to be Egyptian today. Everyone who
fights for democracy and fights for freedom is Egyptian today, and stands with us.”
Will you Watch In Tahrir Square: 18 days of Egypt´s Unfinished Revolution on HBO? Let me know in the comments section. Also, remember to follow me on Twitter for more Documentary scoop.