'Rebel Documentaries' and the Representation of Egyptian
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FOCUS 13 ‘Egyptian revolutionary art’ or ‘Egyptian 1 Graffiti art’ has received worldwide atten- All That is Banned is Desired : ‘Rebel tion since 2011. The topic itself has been Documentaries’ and the Representa- (critically and uncritically) portrayed, dis- cussed and evaluated in a multitude of tion of Egyptian Revolutionaries2 articles, books, symposia, talks and exhibi- tions by researchers, curators, critics, pho- tographers and artists (see for example Abaza, Tourists and Graffiti; Antoun; Eickhof; Shalakany). Linked to Egyptian revolutionary or graffiti art is the notion of Ilka Eickhof the revolutionary rebel artist. The focus on young Egyptians and specifically artists Related to the increasing attention to so- Although taking different perspectives, also appears in a number of films that called Egyptian revolutionary graffiti, one the films sketch out a snap shot of a gen- have appeared since 2011 and circulated can also observe the appearance of eration that is caught in an ongoing vio- in manifold international film festivals as “Rebel-Documentaries”, focusing on a lent revolutionary process by (re)present- documentary films, receiving various similar group of protagonists: young, ing a specific rebellious Egyptian identity. prizes from within the Western award mostly male (graffiti) artists and revolu- In discussing the works, I will look at dif- economy.3 Now some accounts critically tionaries. In this article, I will take a closer ferent intertwined representational scrutinize the sudden hype on revolution- look at a selection of these documenta- effects that are related to the composi- ary youth and their specific, one-dimen- ries and their inherent power structures tion, realization and commercialization of sional Western representation as young, that frame the representational mechan- the films. Finally, the article raises ques- rebellious, educated, modern, and global- ics with a focus on the western notion of tions about the self-positionality of the ized (El-Mahdi; Bennani-Chraïbi and Fil- ‘the revolutionary rebel.’ The case exam- protagonists as well as to the localization lieule, et al.) In the following essay, I will ples are: Abdo–Coming of Age in a Revo- of the films, and the existence of embed- take a closer look at the orchestration of lution (Jakob Gross, 2015); Art War ded power structures and symbolic capi- four visual accounts of what I will refer to (Marco Wilms, 2014); Al Midan–The tal complicit with neoliberal and other as rebel documentaries in order to exam- Square (Jehane Noujaim, 2013); and The pressures. ine how a similar one-dimensional repre- Noise of Cairo–Art, Cairo and Revolution sentation of the artistic rebel is con- (Heiko Lange, 2012). All four focus on the Keywords: Representation; Othering; structed, which, in the end, (involuntarily) role and the supposedly ‘free, rebellious Revolutionary Art; Symbolic Capital; turns both film directors and protagonists spirit’ of the young generation in Egypt. Egypt into market products: Abdo – Coming of Middle East – Topics & Arguments #06–2016 FOCUS 14 Age in a Revolution (directed by Jakob resentation that is said to produce sober, voices to make them be heard again, to Gross, 2015), Art War (directed by Marco unauthored texts through which the world “bear witness to Cairo’s vibrant artistic Wilms, 2014), Al Midan – The Square supposedly tells itself, without any ideo- underbelly, as it raises its voice once (directed by Jehane Noujaim, 2013) and logical intervention from its author” (God- again” (website noiseofcairo.com)? Why The Noise of Cairo – Art, Cairo and Revo- milow 3). Although I would assume that does another German director make a film lution (Heiko Lange, 2012). the aforementioned filmmakers Gross, about Abdo (Abdel Rahman Zin Eldin), Wilms, Noujaim and Lange would not who is “a young man looking for his iden- Theoretical Framing: Staging a Rebel Doc- claim that their work is neutral, documen- tity” (website Abdo-film.de)? ‘Why not?’ umentary tary films do act as authorities to the audi- one might think, yet this is not a sufficient All four films are set within the genre of ences because their images are assumed answer since the history of who makes ‘documentary film.’ When we hear ‘docu- to be truth, even though they are fiction whose voice not only heard, but also mat- mentary film,’ most of us will think that the (Trinh T. Minh-ha). They “claim the pedi- ter is strongly connected to positionali- film will show an objective reality in the gree of the real and all the attributes and ties—and to the genre of documentary. sense of ‘how things really are,’ or, in other privileges of the real” (Godmilow 4). In This is tied to another intrinsic power words, that the documentary film is based the end it is the surveillance camera dynamic, namely the ability and the free- on the ambition to tell a truth, the idea of which comes closest to the actual com- dom of movement: who makes a docu- the “purity of the image,” and with it the mon understanding of a documentary mentary about whom and for whom, who “assumptions about transparency, imme- (Plantinga 52). has the passport to travel (in this case to diacy, and singularity of meaning” (Sabea, Egypt), the cash to stay for an extensive Westmoreland 2). This truth, however, is The way documentary films are built and period of time and shoot a film (whether constructed through the regulatory means the way they use reflexive elements lead self-financed or with funding), and who of image selection, camera operation, to questions of authorship and represen- has the social and educational capital to musical underlining, narrational intention- tation—what do we see, who do we see, do so, plus the cash to pay the fixers—and alities, titles, etc. Other tools are so-called and how does it talk to us? Although all who does not? Where do these documen- validating devices like camera jiggles, four films differ regarding their means of taries take place? graininess, bad focus or other ‘accidents.’ production, plot line, funding and circula- Film directors Gross, Wilms and Lange These devices, which we encounter in all tion experiences, they do have in common financed their works on their own for a four films, serve as an indication that the that they represent their protagonists as long period of time, sometimes facing director did not control the event he or rebel heroes in one way or another — precarious periods, motivated maybe for she was recording (Ruby, Image) and con- smooth, mature and confident as inNoise the sake of art, of a political project, of vey proximity. of Cairo, or young, chaotic and adventur- believing in something, of receiving atten- The problem is that classical documentary ous as in Abdo. Why does a German direc- tion, and/or of receiving symbolic capital filmmaking is a “system of cinematic rep- tor need to catch the Cairene art scene’s which might translate into funding for Middle East – Topics & Arguments #06–2016 FOCUS 15 future fi lm projects. However, it is also the ‘documentary pop stars’ and realize their of structural reasons like not being able to protagonists who gain capital. In Abdo as 15 minutes of fame rather than critically travel, or to suddenly recognize how lim- well as in The Square, working on the fi lm examine how their images are constructed ited the gained social and symbolic capi- with the person who later appears as the and the potential impact on audiences.” tal was for them in the end. fi lmmaker was a shared experience for the (Ruby, Speaking 50). Based on personal protagonists, and often a deep friendship conversations, some of the protagonists In “A Thing like You and Me,” Hito Steyerl evolved out of it, at least for the time of the recounted that they were rather disap- refers to David Bowie’s song “Heroes” fi lmmaking process. “Documentaries are pointed after the fi lms were out and where he calls for a new brand of hero in often regarded as elaborate home movies screened, for private reasons and expecta- the neoliberal times of revolution, his hero by the people in them. Subjects become tions that were not met, but also because no longer being a subject, but an object: Foto: © Heiko Lange © Heiko Foto: GANZEER designed by Wilms, © Marco Foto: Jäger © Ammar Abo Bakr and Christoph Foto: The fi lm posters of three of the four documen- Figure 1: The Noise of Cairo. A Documentary About Figure 3: Abdo. Coming of Age in a Revolution, taries, visually connecting art/street art with the Cairo, Art and Revolution, 2012. 2015. revolution.4 Figure 2: Art War. Egyptian Artists Salvage the Revo- lution from Going Under, 2014. Middle East – Topics & Arguments #06–2016 FOCUS 16 “A thing, an image, a splendid fetish,” an unique historic moment, however, is crucial in terms of representation. Missing image that can be multiplied, copied, almost impossible. The narratives are con- Arabic subtitles in the documentary (Ara- looked at as a shiny product (Steyerl 49). tested, memories are aestheticized, and bic is dubbed to English but not vice This could be a simple critique raised representations are based on intrinsic versa) suggest an English-speaking audi- when discussing the Western hype of Cai- power structures of who represents whom. ence. The English-only website promotes ro’s graffiti in general or the rebel docu- Therefore, constructing a narrative that the documentary as “a cinematic adven- mentaries specifically. But the representa- derives out of a moment of sudden hype ture following the interplay between art tion of the rebel in the rebel documentaries can be a hazardous undertaking, because and revolution,” with artistic expression is not only objectifying ‘the Other,’ since it tends to strengthen a singular story only being considered “nothing but a threat to the protagonists of all films mentioned (see Abdallah; Aly; Downey; Harutyun- the status quo.” The film promises us the either filmed themselves or for the most yan).