WeapoN of ChoiCe

Weapon
of Choice
Before and after the popular uprising that led to the fall of Hosni Mubarak, a new generation of Egyptian filmmakers started using their weapon of choice—their cameras—
as a tool for revealing the truth to the world. More than ever a crucial weapon of resistance, filming breaks the law of silence and makes sense out of confusion that now
rules Egypt. Weapon of Choice shows how filmmakers, through fiction, documentary
or citizen journalism, take action in the long and difficult process of transformation
that is Revolution. With Ibrahim El Batout, Ayten Amin, Wael Omar, Khalid Abdalla,
Amr Salama, Mohamed Diab and Karim El Shenawy.
Director's Note
Back in 2008, I was making a film in Egypt. During the time I spent there shooting the
film, I witnessed first-hand, the corruption, fear and oppression that the people were
living under. I knew that one day the situation would explode. At that time, I hadn't met
the young people we now know as the Egyptian Youth Movement who wanted to bring
about a regime change. I did not know there were so much talent and so many brave
people ready to die for their country. When the Revolution began in January 2011, I
wanted to go back to Cairo to see this unparalleled period in History. As soon as I could
I flew back there with this question in mind: "How can Egyptian directors set about filming this radical transformation? Which aspect of the events taking place gives them inspiration? And, how can they contribute to the changes?"
This process is tough and difficult: one step forward unrolls for ten steps backward, resting upon the spasms of a society going through a huge identity crisis. Some filmmakers
were torn between their careers as filmmakers, and their desire to get actively involved
in the political struggle. This film looks at the role of the filmmaker as an artist and his
involvement in this turbulent period that is all-consuming.
These dramatic events have reeled new talent—men and women unafraid to challenge
head-on the most sensitive issues faced by the changing society. Some of their films,
made before the departure of Hosni Mubarak, already show that change was in the air,
a bid for freedom that ultimately pushed aside 30 years of dictatorial rule and culture
oppression.
New media outlets have been created; new newspapers; new television channels. But,
in reality, ordinary Egyptian citizens have little access to independent cinema. These
young Egyptian filmmakers are still little known abroad and sometimes even less in their
own country. One of the goals of Weapon of Choice is to shed light on these filmmakers. Because this new wave of Egyptian cinema reveals the huge challenges that Egypt
must now face. It reflects the difficulty and the complexity of the situation where everything remains extremely uncertain.
Florence Tran
Landmark Media Inc.
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Topic
Year FORMAT Pricing
middle east
current affairs
film studies
journalism
political science
2012
DVD
43 MIN
$225.00