The Filmmakers of The Square – Jehane Noujaim & Karim Amer




Kamla Bhatt Show show

Summary: (http://kamlashow.com/podcast/wp-content/uploads/photo1-150x150.jpg)Jehane Noujaim & Karim Amer are the  filmmaker of  Oscar nominated documentary (http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/jan/20/square-egypt-documentary-oscars-nominee-noujaim) film "The Square (http://youtu.be/twB2zAOzsKE)." We bring you a 2-part interview with the filmmakers on how they made this film in Cairo, Egypt. In Part-1 Jehane and Karim take us behind the scenes and share how they made this very unusual documentary that traces the birth of the Egyptian revolution in Tahrir Square in Cairo. Sitting in the comfort of our homes, we watched the revolt unfold in Tahrir Square on our TV and computer monitors. We saw President Mubarak's  government topple and a new one come in its place and  that government also collapsed.But,  ever wondered what was it like to be right there in the middle of Tahrir Sqaure?  That is what "The Square (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/square-filmmaker-jehane-noujaim-leaks-676888)" is about. You are right there in the middle as the filmmakers take you through months of protest in Tahrir Square. How did the filmmakers find the people whose story they follow in "The Square"?  "People found each other in the Square," points out Karim. Through the lives of a young activist, a Muslim Brotherhood member and other activists the film  puts you at the heart of the agitation and gives you a close view of that tumultuous period in Egyptian history. People were fighting for their basic survival needs like bread explain the filmmakers. They also share how Netflix came to acquire their documentary. This is the first documentary Netflix acquired for its original content series and released it online in Jan 2014. "The Square" is up for an Oscar (2014) in the documentary category. Jehane Noujaim has been making documentary films for close to 10 years now. She directed the film and Karim Amer produced it. Pedro Ko (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1310430/)s is the editor of the film. We met with the filmmakers in December 2013 in San Francisco and recorded the interview. Watch a short video clip on how Netflix acquired the rights for "The Square."