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United Kingdom, Egypt, United States · 2013
1h 28m
Director Jehane Noujaim
Starring Khalid Abdalla, Dina Abdullah, Dina Amer, Magdy Ashour
Genre Documentary, Drama, History
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Centered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, several young activists participate in the Egyptian Revolution. They are armed with determination, humor, social media savvy, and a passionate vision for the country’s future – but can that sustain them when dictator Hosni Mubarek’s fall proves to be only the beginning of their struggle?
The New York Times by A.O. Scott
Even though The Square depicts widely covered recent events, it still feels like a revelation. This is partly because of the immediacy of Ms. Noujaim’s approach, which often puts the viewer in the midst of chaos as it unfolds.
New York Magazine (Vulture) by David Edelstein
The Square is inner-world-shaking.
The Square offers more than just pictures of a revolution; it lets you into the mind-set of those fighting for their future, and that makes all the difference.
The Hollywood Reporter by James Greenberg
A riveting firsthand account of the Egyptian revolution presented with remarkable immediacy and filmmaking skill.
The Square is journalism, but Noujaim’s agenda is greater than mere reportage.
The director recut the movie several times as events overtook it. She may yet do so again — although if more major changes occur, they could merit beginning another documentary. As The Square makes clear, Noujaim would not hesitate to rush back into the fray.
Village Voice by Michelle Orange
[A] powerful, exacting depiction of Egypt's struggle for meaningful change.
The A.V. Club by Mike D'Angelo
There’s a sense in which The Square feels incomplete, like the first part of a much longer effort. It’s hard to blame Noujaim for presenting it to the public now, but the decision to do so is primarily political, not artistic.
Slant Magazine by Nick Schager
A blistering portrait of rebellion against social discord, marginalization and oppression, and a call to arms for true democratic ideals of dignity, justice, and fairness.
The Dissolve by Tasha Robinson
It catches, in the most authentic and democratic way possible, a collection of people who’ve developed a strong taste for revolution, but are still trying to figure out what to do with it.
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A nine-year old boy’s obsession with straightening his hair elicits a tidal wave of homophobic panic in his hard-working mother.
In Ukraine, student demonstrations supporting European integration grew into a violent revolution calling for the resignation of President Viktor F. Yanukovich.