UPRISING

(director/writer: Fredrik Stanton; cinematographer: Samer Elzedin; editors: William James Hamilton/Adam Bolt; Runtime: 85; MPAA Rating: NR; producers: Alexander Davidis/Fredrik Stanton/Samer Elzedin; Rebellion Films; 2012)

“Works best as a document on recent history.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

Fredrik Stanton directs this well-produced no-frills straightforward historical documentary that follows the spontaneous demonstrations in Cairo’s Tahrir Square that started in January 2011, that led to the overthrow of the despised 82-year-old Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak and his corrupt and oppressive regime after ruling under martial law since 1981. The no-nonsense documentary gives us an accurate time-line of events that led to the dictator’s downfall and arrest at the end of the year, whereby he was sentenced to a life sentence in a new democratic Egypt struggling to achieve a full democracy. It shows revealing videos, some footage never seen before, of the important events following both the peaceful and bloody demonstrations at Tahrir Square. On Jan 28, the subjugated masses lost their fear of the police state after attacked by security thugs on camels working for the regime and were reassured the army would not mow them down like in the current Syrian uprising.

It’s an informative pic geared for political junkies and those wanting more of a heads up on the events of 2011 in Egypt, something they might want to view again as a refresher or maybe for what was missed on the networks news, CNN or Al Jazeera. The ‘Uprising’ viewers will be rewarded with seeing how passionate, brave, articulate, peace loving and sincere were these highlighted likable activists and how the hope for the successful revolution, that was fueled by communicating on Facebook, was gained through non-violent mass demonstrations by a cross-section of the population voicing that they wanted to be part of the modern world and for their stifling poverty and oppression to end with the downfall of the dictator.

We’re told by talking heads, Nobel Peace Prize nominees, an international collection of politicians, activists and members of the idealistic non-violent Revolutionary Youth Union that once the population has tasted freedom, there’s no retreat and the 840 who died for the cause will not have died in vain. The film works best as a document on recent history.

REVIEWED ON 12/29/2012 GRADE: B