Educational Media Reviews Online

After President Ben Ali fled Tunisia in January 2011, the country has experienced new steps toward democracy under the interim regime. Unexpectedly, Tunisia became a hotbed of protest during the series of democratic revolutions in the Middle East known as the Arab Spring. Those who supported Ben Ali, those who support the current regime, and the majority who long for even more and greater freedoms, all continue to protest in earnest.

This work is nearly purely social in its approach, examining the anatomy of a protest. There is no narration, no interview questions, no graphics, etc. The director, who artfully performed all of the camerawork, simply let people speak of their motives, conditions, agenda, and challenges. Similarly, the director exposits examples of graffiti with accompanying translations, letting the people speak for themselves in another format.

This film truly draws the audience in with examples of civil protests as Tunisia makes adjustments its newfound freedom of the press and free economy. The film demonstrates the citizens’ keenness to political and economic issues, and the overall commitment to education and discussion on the part of the protestors. The film shows the differences among generations, as the youthful protestors use social networking, rap music, and other media to promote views. Some organizers even set up tents with laptops in them during the protests. Although there is a conspicuous dose of resentment and rage in these protests and friction among the various protest voices, the overall theme of this film is to present a new stage in evolution of the act of protest. Not lost, however, in this are sobering accounts of pre- and intra- Ben Ali Tunisia. Others give accounts of persecution, violent assault, and murder by the current regime.

Simply put, this film treats how social demand has turned into political action in Tunisia. While mainstream media often covers protests in the Middle East with burning flags, effigies, and violence, one should take careful note of the trend of earnest, articulate, and highly organized protests exhibited in this work.

In terms of filming and music, this is just masterful. There is consistently brilliant filming, with both subtle and powerful imagery and transitions. One such transition features a baby sitting on a banner, followed by a shot of barbed wire in the foreground of an armed soldier near a tank. There is also a subtle visual theme of sweeping and cleaning. There are many shots in the film of Tunisians, cleaning after a protest or government intrusion. The simple guitar accompaniment used is very stirring throughout.

There was a great deal of inspiration and admiration worldwide during and following the Arab Spring. This film gives vivid shape and composition to at least one of those revolutions.