Manchester's HOME ran a short two-day event showcasing 4 original documentary films which focused on differing aspects of the 2011 Egyptian revolution and its aftermath. I was only able to catch the final of the four films, a very emotive and personal film from director Amal Ramsis.
Before attending this screening I have to admit to being somewhat ignorant of any revolution in Egypt 7 years' ago. I remember the news reporting of mass demonstrations, of carnage and protesting, and the UK declaring Egypt a no-go holiday destination, that is for certain, but I don't remember - or may never have known - why. What caused this upheaval, and why was it so important for the Egyptian people. Moreover, after watching this film, a question resonates in the back of my mind... is this struggle, this war, this revolution, over or is it still, as the film suggests, a little like a volcano which will go quiet for a while whilst it conserves energy and pools resources before making another dreadful and bloody outburst?
What remained in my mind after watching this film was that the revolution isn't over and the people of Egypt are not united and in harmony even now. Furthermore, it also seems that religion plays a very large part in the disagreements there. Once again reader, please forgive my terrible ignorance of this situation, but I had until watching this film, never heard of the organisation called, The Muslim Brotherhood. However it seems that this Muslim Brotherhood had control of Egypt in a most unsavoury and irreligious way, being basically the thugs who did the military's dirty work. Again, I may well be wrong, but that was the impression I got. If that is the case then it also seems to me that those of non-Muslim faiths or no faith at all living in Egypt were and possibly still are in more danger than the Muslims. Again, just a supposition, but one cannot help but rationalise and extrapolate this conclusion.
The film, a very powerful and emotive piece of self-expression, told the story of Mina Danial, a young Coptic Christian and active demonstrator against the regime who was martyred after his death (along with 26 others) when the government's security forces killed these Christians on the 9 October 2011. Rather than a voice-over or reconstruction however, the film takes a very human and very female stand-point and the story is taken up by Mina's sister Mary.
Mary's down-to-earth nature and pragmatism about it all seems to jar with the mass protests and demonstrations that she was a part of. Director Ramsis followed Mary and filmed her over a two year period, and although we clearly see Mary in the midst of these violent and highly flagrant uprisings, she seems somehow to float almost ghost-like through these uproarious crowds. Whether intentionally or otherwise, this gave Mary an almost celestial, otherworldly ambience, which did seem to work in the film-maker's favour, as it pulled at our heart-strings even more. There was also a nice human element to the documentary too, as instead of focusing entirely on Mina and his cult status and how the revolution progressed after his death; there was also a more thoughtful and quiet section in which Mary tells us about her personal life and the struggles that she experienced not only after the death of her brother but with her forced and loveless marriage and her Coptic reaction to that, to them living completely separately etc. Again, religion rearing it's ugly head so to speak.
This hour long docu-film was illuminating but also very self-obsessed and very opinionated. Ramsis is very clear in her documenting of this event where her affiliations lie and who the enemy is. I also think that for me at least - since I know precious little of this struggle even now - it asks far more questions than it answers. If you already are aware of Mina Danial and his elevation to the ranks of 'The Che Guevara of Egypt', then this film will probably add little or nothing to your knowledge-arsenal, but for people like me, then it was an excellent introduction to Egypt's 2011 Revolution and certainly something that gives one the impulse to research and understand further.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 13/10/18
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