The Square Review - Chazz

    The Square is a documentary that was released in 2013 to take viewers into the streets of Cairo, Egypt where the Egyptian revolution took place in Tahrir Square. This film gave us a look within as to what was happening during this time with the ongoing protests and people fighting for their freedom and peace from an unjust regime. This documentary takes viewers on an extreme emotional journey, and the film itself is very vibrant, and graphical from the beginning to end. 

    There were several strengths that this film possessed. The biggest thing that caught my attention throughout the film was the actual footage that was being used. This was good to show because it moves you in a way that you can't describe. I mean how could the military regime do the things they did to all of those innocent people. They were beating, and torturing civilians, and there was even a moment when the military drove into the crowds with trucks killing people who were protesting. In the film there was a quote said by Ahmed that stated “The good and free are being called traitors, while the traitors are being called heroes”. This quote was very true, as I felt the military let their people down. The film gave off powerful emotions, and it made me feel anger, sadness, and a mixture of things as I watched the events of the film unfold. Seeing how the military were turning on their own people. It was really sad and heartbreaking to watch. Another strength that was shown was how the characters in this film were real people, and we could easily see what was happening through their eyes. It kind of showed us the challenges that they were facing, and what they were feeling and experiencing throughout the story. It took us to a personal level with them, and I feel that is what made the film so powerful. 

    One important idea that I experienced from this film was the fight for freedom and peace. The citizens of Egypt wanted an end to the regime, and the unjust government that was currently in term. The Tahrir Square was the place where they could all come together and fight for the same cause. The square represented unity, pride, and dignity, and that was shown throughout the film. They fought and protested as hard as they could and they didn't give up, and that is why I respect them all so much for what they have done.  

    Social media played a significant role in showing the protests and the attacks on the civilians to the world. The character Khalid wanted to show the world what was happening over in Egypt and he did so by making videos and posting them to YouTube. These videos were viewed by others, and were even shown by various news stations to the world. 

    Other places today that I see social media playing a huge role is for the events that are happening in Ferguson, Missouri. You can see news and other forms of information on Twitter, YouTube, and many different online news sources. There were numerous amount of debates with the trending topics related to Ferguson on twitter. I also saw a video of a woman recording while protesting in Ferguson. In this video she was seen running as the police threw tear gas at them to break the protest up. It kind of reminded me of the film, and the countless amount of times the military regime attacked the protestors for doing nothing but fighting for their rights.  This made me learn that events like Tahrir Square could happen anywhere in the world, and that the US could experience problems just like the events of the square. 

    Overall this was a film was very good, and way better than I thought it would be, and it's a documentary that I'll always remember.