The Square

Watching The Square I'm reminded of The Who's line, "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss." The film tells of the struggle, which seems Sisyphean, of activists struggling to bring democracy to Egypt.

The film begins in 2011, during the Arab Spring. Thousands of citizens have taken to Tahir Square in Cairo, demanding the end of Hasni Mubarak's regime. Mubarak had been in power since the assassination of Anwar Sadat, and was corrupt as the day was long. But he finally lost control of the army and hightailed it out of the country. The thousands cheered, tears streaming down their faces. But they made a mistake by trusting the army. Never let the army take control of a country.

Soon afterward the army started arresting protesters and beating and torturing them. Ramy Essam, a musician, returns from prison covered with angry welts and scars. Then the anti-regime protesters are split in two. The Muslim Brotherhood, who had halfheartedly engaged in protest, cuts a deal with the army, who will rush an election, which the Brotherhood expects to win.

This is a very interesting part of the film. A handful of people are chronicled, and one of them is Magdy Ashour, a member of the Brotherhood who had been imprisoned and beaten by the Mubarak regime. But he is torn, as he is close to the more secular protesters, such as Ahmed Hassan, who feels betrayed.

Eventually an election is held, and the Muslim Brotherhood candidate, Mohamed Morsi, is elected with 51 percent of the vote. The pro-democracy crowd is despondent. Morsi soon gives himself more powers than Mubarak ever had, and once again there are mass protests, and eventually Morsi is overthrown. The film ends with the activists still hopeful that they will one day have a true democracy.

The Square, directed by Jehane Noujaim, gives one an immediate feel for the revolution. There is no narration, no talking heads. It's all live action stuff, with discussions between the revolutionaries and the action in the streets. In addition to Hassem, the actor Khalid Abdalla (who starred in The Kite Runner) show amazing dedication and resilience as they seem to be thwarted at every turn, but never give in.

The Square was nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary two years ago but has only recently been released on DVD. For anyone who is interested in the Arab world, or just has an interest in human rights, I highly recommend it.