Tahrir 2011

A view from the inside of the Egyptian revolution, split into three chapters. The first people to have their say participated in the demonstrations on Tahrir Square. These are ordinary people who suddenly become part of history by making posters, climbing on water cannons, or attending to the wounded in improvised infirmaries. They talk about their experiences, which are supported by personal film footage, much of it shot using cell phone cameras. Next up, members of the much despised secret police, sometimes disguised, also give their account - with a degree of shame and a remarkable ability to put matters into perspective. And then we move on to the cause of the revolution: President Mubarak, who ruled for 30 years. The film explains in 10 steps how Mubarak gained and then maintained power, using a large amount of archive footage that includes excerpts from Mubarak's speeches and interviews, animations, and comments from a vast number of experts and key players in the events that took place - including writers, journalists, and former government ministers and departments chiefs. With great subtlety, the film demonstrates just how riddled with opportunism the political apparatus is and just how tough the road to a democratic future is going to be.