Showing @ Filmhouse, Edinburgh, Wed 26 Sep only

Karim El Hakim, Omar Shargawi / Denmark / 2011 / 72 min

Ask any activist, researcher or political thinker about the most important things in engaging with protest. Direct participation will of course come up, but most will always cite education as one of the most essential tools to getting involved. What better way to learn than via actual recorded accounts of the event? In ½ Revolution, a group of activists, some Egyptian, some Palestinian, some French, document the rise of the revolution from the heart of Tahrir Square.

In some ways, there isn’t much to say about a film of this magnitude; star ratings are trivial and critical analysis almost seems patronising. Irrespective, you must see this film. It offers a street-level view of the Arab Spring, captures the shifting dynamic of a revolution and tells the human stories of people from different backgrounds. It’s hard with films about revolution, as it doesn’t all happen on the street; it happens through years of corruption and economic hardship, mobilisation, actual protest, rebuilding and growth. In this sense, the film doesn’t deal with all of the issues, but how can it? Instead, it documents the plight of impoverished Egyptians through raw, in-the-middle-of-it-all filmmaking. This is essential, compelling and brutally powerful viewing, demonstrating how we must stay engaged with global events and show solidarity at times when the media overlooks them.

Showing as part of Take One Action Film Festival 2012.