Egypt: Children of the revolution (2012), documentary by May Abdalla

'Blood keeps flowing.'

In the documentary series of This World on the third of February 2012 May Abdalla follows three young Egyptians during the year after the revolution in the beginning of 2011. They all have their ideals: Gigi Ibrahim (left, second from top) is a freedom fighter, famous for her tweets and determindness, Ahmed Hassan is a young men from poor parents who has a good heart and seeks for justice but even more for a job, Tahir Yasin (right, second from top) is a Salafist with a strong belief in an islamist future.

January 25 and later.

 During mass demonstrations on this important day of the non-violent uprising against the corrupt regime of Mubarakm Gigi saw police officers running away from Tahrir Square, after first having tried to stop the demonstrators. She herself was not afraid. Ahmed remembers the war on Lovers bridge on the 10^th of February. Mubarak asks the people to calm down. ‘Bastard,’ Ahmed says. The demonstrators wave with their shoes in the air. One day later vice-president Suleiman declares the resignation of Mubarak. Gigi phones to her dad (right on the top), a businessman and feels that life has to go back to normal again. Ahmed thinks his life will be better from now on. His mother sells vegetables and was often threatened by the polide. Gigi’s older sister is worried, just like her aunt. Tahir is glad. He was in prison several times and now he can talk freely about his beliefs.

July 23 and later.

Tantawi (right under), leader of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) wants everybody to go back to work. Gigi’s dad has a clothes factory and did not like the strikes, but Gigi supports the strikers. Ahmed has not found work yet. He fears that his participation in the revolution is not a recommandation. He can only work in a factory. Tahir wants the Sharia to rule in Egypt, he is glad the Moslem Brotherhood en the Salafist work together. The mother of Ahmed goes to Tahrir Square and doesn’t like the masculine orders of the moslem men. Gigi is glad that her aunt is more positive about the uprising. The SCAF clears the Tahrir Square from demonstrators. Gigi is arrested. Her dad is worried. She doesn’t know the real face of the army, he says. He wants the SCAF to govern, since the Egyptians are unfamiliar with democracy.

September 26 and later.

The SCAF proclaims general elections. Tahir says a woman cannot be with her picture on their election-posters. Gigi goes with friends for a holiday to the Red Sea. There she hears from the violence by the army against the Coptic Christians. Army and islamists work together to expel them. 27 of them died. One of them is a friend of Ahmed. The problem is that blood keeps flowing, he says. He doesn’t understand it. The army is no longer with the people. The SCAF blames the protesters. Tahir says the Christians are to blame and the protesters are enemies of the state. Tahir is going to get married.

November 21 and later.

A week to go to the elections. Cairo is a chaos. Tahir is convinced about the real change, that is going to happen. Gigi is walking around, filming as a onofficial monitor. She refuses to vote. Freedom doesn’t came easily she says. Her dad is scared. The Moslem Brotherhood is the biggest party, the Salafist almost get a quarter of all votes. Tahir is having a happy marriage. The islamists can challenge the army, he says. Ahmed is on Tahrir Square. ‘We are not to get,’ he says.

A peaceful Egypt is not coming very much closer yet. This revolution is a tough process. It deserves a continous close look and commitment, the way May Abdalla filmed this three young people with their ideals in this documentary.  

gewijzigd op 8 februari 2012 om 9:00 uur