The Square EPK.Pdf

Producer Karim Amer Executive Producers Geralyn Dreyfous, Jodie Evans, Sarah Johnson, Mike Lerner, Lekha Singh Editor Pedro Kos

Technical Information Duration 104 minutes Screening format HDCAM Shooting format 1080p25 Video/Audio Colour/Stereo

Publicity Susan Norget Film Promotion [email protected]

Sales International Goldcrest Contact [email protected] North American Dana O’Keefe Contact [email protected]

Online facebook.com/TheSquareFilm twitter.com/TheSquareFilm http://www.TheSquareFilm.com

The Story of Revolution Behind the Headlines From the 2011 overthrow of a 30-year dictator, through military rule, and culminating with the forced military removal of the Muslim Brotherhood president in the summer of 2013, we follow a group of Egyptian activists as they battle leaders and regimes, and risk their lives to build a new society of conscience. The Egyptian Revolution has been an ongoing roller coaster. Through the news, we only get a glimpse of the bloodiest battle, an election, or a million man march. At the beginning of this month, we witnessed the second president deposed within the space of three years. The Square is a truly immersive experience, transporting the viewer deeply into the intense emotional drama and personal stories behind the news. It is the inspirational story of young people claiming their rights, struggling through multiple forces: from a brutal army dictatorship willing to crush protesters with military tanks, to a corrupt Muslim Brotherhood using mosques to manipulate voters. The activists in our film are armed with nothing more than cameras, social media, videos posted to YouTube, and a resolute determination to liberate their nation. The film is made in a cinéma vérité style, giving us an up-close view of revolution from the ground. New technologies show us that the voice of young people cannot be silenced in this digital age. Our characters are fighting an ancient war with new weapons. The Square was first released as an unfinished cut at Sundance in January of 2013, where it received the Audience Award for World Cinema Documentary. Yet as the filmmakers were accepting the award, the characters of the film were back in the streets of Egypt fighting, as the first democratically elected president announced that he was granting himself powers greater than their previous dictator. With these unexpected events, we knew that the story was not over, so we returned to the streets to capture what would become the second part to the story — the battle against the Muslim Brotherhood and Mohamed Morsi’s removal by the Egyptian army. We witness the incredible sacrifice these activists endure on the road to freedom. Through the voices of these daring revolutionaries, we understand why they believe that it’s worth risking life and limb for ideals and the future of the country. This documentary takes us on a transformational journey into this historical revolution first-hand through the eyes of both secular and Muslim Brotherhood protagonists, who once stood united with one another against a brutal regime. The audience watches as the country splits, and those who once ate together, slept next to each other, and joined forces in Tahrir Square to fight for dignity and social justice, are forced to stand opposite one another, divided by politics, on the streets of Cairo. The Square is a live developing story of the quintessential struggle for freedom and democracy, of people putting everything on the line to fight for their rights against institutional powers. Egypt has become a battleground of ideas, and the films shows that it is the most devout of Muslims that will take to the street to fight the abuse of religion to create a fascist state. For the first time, Muslims in vast numbers are fighting against political Islam. The complexity of what is happening here cannot be summed up in a news report. What happens in Egypt will dramatically affect the rest of the Middle East and the world. Our goal for audiences is to experience the evolution of a revolution in the 21st century and understand what these activists are trying to say: civil rights and freedoms are never given away, they are fought for. Historically, this has always been the case, from the Civil Rights movement to the fight against Apartheid. But how does this fight begin and sustain itself and ultimately become successful? This film shows that true change in a society does not begin with a majority, but the relentless and ongoing commitment of individuals to those principles of change. Director : Jehane Noujaim

Egyptian-American filmmaker Jehane Noujaim has worked on various documentaries in both the Middle East and the United States. Before graduating from Harvard, she was awarded the Gardiner Fellowship for Mokattam, an Arabic film she directed about a garbage-collecting village near Cairo, Egypt. Jehane then joined the MTV News and Documentary Division as a segment producer for the documentary series Unfiltered. She soon left her position at MTV to produce and direct the feature documentary, StartUp.com. The critically acclaimed film won countless awards including the DGA and IDA awards for best director. Jehane continued to work on numerous documentaries as a cinematographer including: Born Rich, Only The Strong Survive, and Down From The Mountain, before directing Control Room in 2004.

Control Room, which also met with critical acclaim, is a documentary that exposes the difference in media coverage between the Arab and Western world during the United States’ war with Iraq. Control Room opened in theaters internationally and broke box office records for a documentary on Middle East Affairs. It was for this film that Jehane won the coveted TED Prize in 2006, previously awarded to Bono and President Clinton. Each TED Prize winner is granted a wish to change the world. Jehane’s wish was to create a day in which the power of film could bring people from all over the world together to form a global community and perhaps form a new understanding of each other. This day was Pangea Day; a live video-conference featuring music, film, and speakers that took place in Cairo, New York City, Rio de Janeiro, as well as other cities, in over 100 countries. Jehane has continued to work in the U.S. and in the Middle East on films as an executive producer for such films as Encounter Point and Budrus. She has also co-directed Egypt: We Are Watching You, which premiered as one of the ten films in the Why Democracy Series focusing on contemporary democracy around the globe. In 2012, she co-directed Rafea: Solar Mama, an award-winning film about a Jordanian woman who travels to India with the dream of becoming a solar engineer. The Square, the Sundance Audience Award-winning film chronicling the heart of the Egyptian revolution, is her 5th feature-length documentary. filmography Awards

The Square (Documentary) Startup.com Director, 2013 Directors Guild of America: DGA Award (2002) Double Take Documentary Film Festival: MTV Rafea: Solar Mama (Documentary) News Doc Prize (2001) Director, 2012 International Documentary Association: Best Feature Documentary (2001) Budrus (Documentary) Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards: Executive Producer, 2009 LAFCA Award (2001) Philadelphia Film Festival: Jury Award (2001) Egypt: We Are Watching You (Documentary) Director, 2007 Control Room International Documentary Association: IDA 3 Dancers (Documentary Short) Award (2001) Camera, 2007 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival: CDS Filmmaker Award & Jury Award (2004) Storm From The South (Documentary) Sydney Film Festival: FIPRESCI Prize (2004) Co-Director, 2006 Seattle Film Critics Award: Best Documentary (2004) Encounter Point (Documentary) Boston Society of Film Critics Awards: BSFC Executive Producer, 2006 Award Best Documentary (2004)

Control Room (Documentary) Rafea: Solar Mama Executive Producer, Director, Cinematographer Global Justice: Oxfam Award (2012) & Writer, 2004 DOC NYC: Special Jury Prize & Audience Award (2012) Born Rich (Documentary) Wakefield: Best of Fest (2012) Second Camera, 2003 The Square Only the Strong Survive (Documentary) Sundance Film Festival: Audience Award (2013) Cinematographer, 2002 (unfinished cut)

Startup.com (Documentary) Executive Producer, Director, Cinematographer & Editor, 2001

Down From The Mountain (Documentary) Cinematographer, 2000 Director’s motivation

From a letter from prison by one of the protestors:

“We go to Al Midan (the square) to discover that we love life outside it, and to discover that our love for life is resistance. We race towards the bullets because we love life, and we go into prison because we love freedom.”

It is this shared spirit that gives light to what our story is really about – sacrifice for ideals that are bigger than the individual. Every moment in history begins with a few dedicated people—from the civil rights movement of the ‘60s to the fight to end Apartheid in South Africa. We usually see the culmination of their efforts—the Million Man March on Washington, or the removal of a dictator. But we never see the dramatic personal struggles of the few people who begin the fight before they are joined by millions. We never see the moments where Martin Luther King or Gandhi believes he has failed, and is alone, with no supporters. Understanding the journey of the struggle with its successes and failures is a crucial testimony that we hope can be shared and learned from for years to come.

While our characters put their lives on the line to battle the largest standing army in the Middle East with nothing but stones, we as filmmakers were right behind them with our cameras. By living with our characters for nearly three years, we were also able to capture the personal sacrifices behind the headlines that everyone, regardless of nationality, can relate to. We hope that, upon seeing this film, our audiences will feel that they have been in Tahrir Square, that they have experienced the revolution, that they have become friends with our characters, and that they have truly felt the blood, sweat, tears, and joy behind the politics and the news stories.

We hope to bring you a close, immediate look at what we see as the civil rights movement of our time; to see why the rights that we hold dear must continue to be fought for—on the streets of Cairo, to Turkey, to Syria, the U.S. and around the world; to see what it means to fight for what our characters call “a new society of conscience” for the 21st century. producer : Karim Amer

Karim Amer is an Egyptian-American entrepreneur, who was raised between Miami, Florida and Cairo, Egypt. Karim graduated from New York University in 2005 with dual majors in Economics and Political Science and a minor in Entertainment Media and Technology.

On January 28, 2011, Karim joined his fellow Egyptians in Tahrir Square to fight for democratic rights for his country. Karim quickly understood that his most valuable contribution to the revolution and the building of the country would be to create a platform for debate, discussion and the spreading of important ideas. In effect, Karim was focused on providing a space where the Tahrir square conversation could continue for generations to come — online and in the form of weekly debates.

In order to do this, Amer created and co-founded two initiatives for Egypt: Gessoor, a non- partisan group of concerned Egyptian citizens that offer a platform for productive political and socio-economic discourse by providing a variety of tools to Egyptian youth; and Dostour 2011 (Constitution2011), the first independent stage in Tahrir Square. Karim met Jehane Noujaim in Tahrir and agreed to assist her in making sure that a documentary chronicling the story of this incredible moment in history would be made to show the world the truth of the events that had unfolded. executive producers

Geralyn Dreyfous Geralyn has a wide background in the arts and philanthropy. She founded the Philanthropic Initiative in Boston, which guides families of wealth in strategic giving opportunities, and co- taught documentary writing at Harvard University. Geralyn is also the Founder/ Board Chair of the Utah Film Center and a charter member of the Utah Coalition for Film and Media. In 2007, she co-founded Impact Partners Film Fund with Dan Cogan. Impact Partners (IP) brings together financiers and filmmakers so that, together, they can create great films that entertain audiences, enrich lives, and ignite social change. Since its inception four years ago, IP has been involved in the financing of over 25 films, including: The Cove, which won the 2010 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature; The Garden, which was nominated for the 2009 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature; Freeheld, which won the 2008 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film; and The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib, which won the 2007 Emmy Award for Best Documentary Special. Geralyn’s executive producing and producing credits include: Academy Award winning Born Into Brothels; Emmy nominated The Day My God Died; and multiple film festivals winners such as Kick Like a Girl, In A Dream, Dhamma Brothers, Project Kashmir, Miss Representation, and Connected. Her works in production include: Wait for Me, Year of the Ambassador, One In A Billion, In Football We Trust, and Sugar Babies.

Jodie Evans Jodie Evans has been a peace, environmental, women’s rights and social justice activist and fundraiser for forty years. She has traveled extensively to war zones, including Afghanistan, Gaza and Iraq, promoting and learning about peaceful resolution to conflict. She served in the first administration of Governor Jerry Brown and ran his presidential campaigns. She has published two books, Stop the Next War Now and Twilight of Empire, and has produced several documentary films, including the Oscar and Emmy-nominated The Most Dangerous Man in America and Howard Zinn’s The People Speak. Jodie co- founded CODEPINK: Women for Peace, is the board chair of Women’s Media Center and sits on many other boards, including the Hereditary Disease Foundation, Rainforest Action Network, Institute for Policy Studies, and Sisterhood is Global Institute. She is in the leadership of two funding communities: Threshold Foundation and Women Moving Millions. She is the mother of three. executive producers

Sarah Johnson Sarah Johnson executive produced Guillaume Canet’s crime thriller Blood Ties, starring starring Clive Owen, Billy Crudup, Marion Cotillard and Mila Kunis; Daniel Espinosa’s crime thriller Child 44, starring Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace and Gary Oldman; Atom Egoyan’s crime thriller Devil’s Knot, starring Colin Firth and Reese Witherspoon; James Gray’s period drama The Immigrant, starring Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix and Jeremy Renner; David Gordon Green’s drama Joe, starring Nicolas Cage; David Gordon Green’s drama Manglehorn, starring Al Pacino; Kate Barker-Froyland’s drama Song One, starring Anne Hathaway; Eli Roth’s horror thriller, The Green Inferno; and Ti West’s horror thriller The Sacrament.

A former Portfolio Manager at Franklin Templeton, she is active on the boards of St. Lawrence University and the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, as well as being a member of Conservation South Africa (a division of Conservation International). Her philanthropy has financed the Law Students for Reproductive Justice, BOMA (a micro finance grant-based charity in Northern Kenya) and charities throughout the United States, Africa, Burma and India. Her social issue documentaries include the Academy Award nominated Chasing Ice, The Invisible War, and the critically acclaimed Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors without Borders, among others. Ms. Johnson is also the founder of the children’s clothing line, Spike & Annie. She holds a B.S. in Biology from St. Lawrence University.

Mike Lerner Oscar-nominated producer/director, Mike Lerner, has been making documentaries for twenty-five years. He has produced films for many international broadcasters including Afghan Star, Hell and Back Again, Smash & Grab, A Whole Lott More, The Do Gooders, Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer.

He has won some awards including, Academy Nomination for Best Documentary Feature, several Sundance Awards (Grand Jury, Best Director, Audience, Cinematography, Special Jury Prize), 2 Grierson Awards for Best Documentary, Prix Italia, Winner of Alfred Dupont Award, Winner Best Documentary Moscow Film Festival, Emmy Nomination Best Documentary.

Lekha Singh Director and producer Lekha Singh is a fine-art photographer whose work highlights the familiar spark of nature and humanity in unfamiliar settings. Her photography has been featured in numerous museum collections, magazines, and books, including National Geographic’s “The Other Side of War: Women’s Stories of Survival and Hope.” Singh’s work as a photographer exposed her to the stories of victims of warfare around the world, and alongside well-known director Roger Spottiswoode, she shares a handful of these stories in the independent documentary Beyond Right and Wrong: Stories of Justice and Forgiveness. Collecting interviews from people who have suffered from the Genocide in Rwanda, the conflict in Israel and Palestine, and the Troubles in Northern Ireland and Great Britain, this film illustrates the difficult path towards recovery and explores the role of forgiveness in the search for justice. Singh has also produced the documentary films Food Chains and Rafea: Solar Mama. She is currently directing a second documentary film entitled God, Sex and the Body on legendary movement pioneer Gabrielle Roth, founder of the 5Rhythms ecstatic dance method. Character profiles

Khalid Abdalla Male, mid-30s. British-Egyptian actor and filmmaker (star of The Kite Runner, United 93 and Green Zone). Inspired by the activism of his father, who was jailed in Egypt in the 70’s and has lived in exile in London, Khalid leaves his life in London to join the revolution and complete the family’s struggle, discovering a profound sense of his Egyptian identity in the process. Khalid is amongst the first five hundred people to break through the police cordon and take Tahrir Square on January 28th, remaining in the square until the downfall of Mubarak. Bridging two cultures, Khalid takes on a significant role in the revolution in speaking to international media and shaping the way Western journalists interpret the protests. Determined and articulate, Khalid moves his life to Egypt during the transitional period, taking part in protests post-Mubarak and spearheading an alternative media centre to counter state propaganda.

Magdy Ashour Male, mid-40s. Protester and Muslim Brotherhood security. A father of four, Magdy was abducted and tortured under Mubarak’s rule for being part of the banned Muslim Brotherhood. Magdy is strong, kind and deeply moved by the social injustice and struggle to survive the experiences in his working-class neighbourhood every day. Unlikely friends, Magdy and Khalid met in Tahrir during the 18 days and their exchange of ideas and viewpoints means a lot to them. Post-Mubarak’s fall, the Brotherhood enters a series of negotiations with the Army and re-enters political life with a game plan after years of persecution. In line with the centralized Brotherhood policy aimed at gaining political ground, Magdy stops going to many of the protests. But as he sees the poverty and injustice around him unchanged, Magdy goes through a crisis of faith about the future of the revolution. By the end of the film he goes through a personal transformation, rejecting the politics of the Brotherhood for the idealism of Tahrir. By the end of the film, under pressure from the Muslim Brotherhood, he returns to support them.

Ahmed Hassan Male, mid-20s. Protester and unofficial Square Security. From the working-class district of Shobra, he is a born storyteller and street revolutionary. Ahmed is a key part of the defense of Tahrir in the 18 days leading up to Mubarak’s resignation, and all of the occupations of the square since the fall of Mubarak. To many, he has become the iconic revolutionary of Tahrir. Ahmed’s biggest fear is that the ideals that the revolution fought for will be stolen by military dictatorship, and then by the new religious dictatorship. His hope is to create a new society of conscience in Egypt. Character profiles

Ragia Omran Female, mid 30s. Human rights lawyer, protester and activist. Plain-speaking and passionate, she is on the frontline of the human rights movement in Egypt, bringing her into direct conflict with the new Military Council. Ragia’s experience of the daily frustrations of trying to represent imprisoned protesters and civilians takes us to the frontline of the legal battle for the future of Egypt. After the fall of Mubarak, she is arrested while working as an official monitor of the referendum. Between her family’s fears for her safety and her fight to put human rights for Egyptians at the center of the new Egypt, Ragia begins the battle of her lifetime as she spearheads a campaign for the release of political prisoners and civilians detained under military law, and then by the new Muslim Brotherhood leadership.

Ramy Essam Male, mid-20s. Protest singer. Unknown before Tahrir, Ramy becomes the unofficial singer-songwriter of the revolution with a massive following. From a small town outside Cairo, his songs become the soundtrack to the revolution. After the fall of Mubarak, Ramy is targeted and tortured by the Army in the Egyptian Museum. He manages to escape his arrest with the help of a friend and goes on to write and perform more songs, campaigning for the release of the protesters who were detained with him. He writes songs for each fight the revolutionaries go through and becomes the musical narrator for the film.

Aida El Kashef Female, mid-20s. AIda is a filmmaker from Cairo who sets up the first tent in Tahrir Square at the beginning of the revolution. She also documents the events as they unravel around her. With her camera as her weapon, she fights to bring change with hours of powerful footage, such as her chilling interview with her friend and singer Ramy Essam after his brutal torture by Army officers in the Egyptian museum.

As a state media campaign is waged against the image of the protestor—turning the public image of her and her fellow protesters from heroes to villains of the nation, Aida realizes she must use her camera to try to publicize the truth. She co-founds the equivalent of the “Democracy Now” of Egypt (“Mosireen”) and organizes public outdoor screenings around the country—to fight against state propaganda and show the true beliefs and motivations of her friends in the Square. Noujaim Films, Inc 14 East 4th St. #1107 New York, NY 10003 [email protected]