Shot on the streets during violent suppression of protestors, and using news media journlism footage, this intense film covers the chronological events that have alternately given the women of Egypt hope and despair for the future. The star, Hend Nafea, and other dissenters, men and women, have fought for a more free society in Egypt since the January revolt in 2011 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_Revolution_of_2011). The goal of many activists since the fall of Mubarak has been to achieve freedom from police and military brutality and to receive fair trials in the court system. Unfortunately, conditions in Egypt have become worse with every successive regime since 2010. Instead, many Egyptian people have been cruelly apprehended, tortured and unfairly tried in an attempt to rule the country with an iron hand. Hend Nafea has made heroic efforts to expose each regime's unjust use of violence against men and women; in March 2015, Hend herself has been sentenced to life imprisonment. Fortunately, she has been able to leave the country.
We were thrilled at the film's screening to learn that Hend herself was in attendance, answering questions and eloquently expressing her concern for the need to publicize current conditions. The Egyptian people are being exposed to the ruthless Sisi government tactics of random kidnapping, imprisonment and execution without trial.
This film made it very clear that the future achievement of women's personal freedom and political power will go hand-in-hand with the spread of peace and stability in the world. Egypt should be made to have a Truth and Reconciliation process to come to grips with past abuses of power; and Egyptian women need to be empowered to be physically safe in private and public spaces, and to become judges who have the freedom to judge, based on the law, fairly and not politically.
-dp
