The Square follows the Egyptian revolution of 2011 from the perspective of the ones that started it. The revolutionaries occupy Tahrir square in a strikingly peaceful protest and inspire the downfall of regimes ranging from a brutal military dictatorship to the muslim brotherhood, who manipulated voters using religion to gain unprecedented political power. This is a story that not many understood, it is a story behind the violence and turmoil that we've seen broadcasted briefly on the television. Egypt has been in constant political flux for most of the past decade. This film provides not just a comprehensive follow, through the events of the past three years, but also demonstrates an extremely intimate look at the revolutionaries responsible for what eventually became the biggest demonstration in history. These very modern political activists give a human face to the struggle of democracy in Egypt. The fact that these things happened very recently and are happening now make this film have a sense of urgency and extreme emotional impact. The goal of the revolutionaries is to create a government with a conscience, to replace the extremely repressive governments that come to power consecutively even as the people force the removal of old regimes. In summary this is not just the best documentaries of the year but one of the best movies of the year. It provides a wonderfully immersive look into egyptian culture and the problems facing it today and will leave you too demanding the fall of the regime.
Review of The Square
