São Paulo – Alone with a small camera in his hand, the young Brazilian filmmaker Diogo Faggiano shot footage and conversations with young people in Egypt during a trip to the country in June and July this year. Amidst the first democratic presidential election after the ousting of former president Hosni Mubarak, he recorded the moments and yearnings experienced by men and women who were willing to change the course of their nation.
“I was received by a journalist who lived near Tahrir Square. There, the people discussed politics all the time, there was a lot of exaltation going on,” says Faggiano, 26. “I was interested in hearing from the youngest. Those born in the 1980s never knew what a democratic process is,” he says.
The footage gave rise to the first phase of the feature documentary film The Revolution of The Year”When their youth gets together every night to have tea or smoke a shisha, they discuss politics. Political discussion goes on all the time, unlike in our country. Politics comes ahead of football and television,” says the filmmaker about what struck him the most in Egypt.
He says he was able to overcome the distrust of interviewees over being filmed thanks to the help of friends. “We had nine or ten talks. At times we would talk with the camera off at first, and then turn the camera on,” he says. “We would also cover everyday life, trade, and life of young people, which is the main focus of the film.”
An article from the United States’ Time magazine, which chose the figure of the “protester” as person of the year in 2011, helped define the film’s characters, like the young Saleh Fekry, one of the highlights in the production. “In the film, they are portrayed as regular persons. We deal with the human side, more than the political side,” says the director.
In order to complete the documentary, Faggiano plans to travel to Egypt yet again this year, alongside a team from São Paulo’s production company Massa Real Filmes. “In July, we focused on what young people thought about the elections. “In December, we’ll see what they think about democracy” he explains.
“We will give an assessment of the direction the country has gone in after Mubarak, the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood, whether the kids have gotten jobs, whether the graffiti on the walls has been painted over, and what the democratization process is like. The film ends when the year ends and they no longer are the ‘Person of the Year,’ he says.
To complete the documentary, however, the team is seeking sponsorship. “There are three of us, the logistics is complicated, it involves travel, equipment, insurance,” says Faggiano. Overall costs amount to US$ 25,000. To raise the sum, the filmmakers have put up a trailer of the film on a public fund-raising site. “We have received aid from Canada, Germany and even Syria,” says Faggiano. They are still far from obtaining the full amount though, and are awaiting new contributions to finish the movie.
To watch preliminary footage of The Revolution of The Year and contribute to the project go to www.indiegogo.com/projects/266057.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
