A revolution is in process, and rushing from their Cairo apartment, a group of friends bring their cameras and cell phones to the Tahrir Square demonstrations in order to document it. Omar Shargawi and Karim El Hakim’s true-life thriller, a new apex of participatory journalism, captures Egypt’s power-to-the-people resistance movement and the violent reprisals against it from a terrifying proximity. The secret police infiltrate crowds, tear gas canisters fly, shots are fired, and bodies hit the ground. Yet the rebellion continues—punctuated by breaks for prayer and chants of “no violence”—and these fearless storytellers keep their cameras rolling. The film provides a rare glimpse into history as seen from the street level. More than a mere on-the-spot document, the film is a landmark in contemporary storytelling, demonstrating digital cinema’s potential to empower the voiceless around the globe. (JS)