18 Days
by Pat Frickey

Ten snapshots of the Egyptian Revolution between February 25 and March 11 are captured in this collection of shorts. The historical significance of the revolution inspired ten Egyptian directors to film glimpses into what could have happened in Egypt from the first days of protest until the day Mubarak resigned. Some scenes in Tahrir Square are authentic and familiar to all who watch international news reports. In The Curfew young Ali and his flustered grandfather make an emergency trip to the hospital, and end up having to spend the night sleeping in their car. Could it be that the young boy had feigned food poisoning so he could have his photo taken with the soldiers and tanks? 1919 shows the vicious world of an interrogator questioning a revolutionary mastermind. This film depicts the most brutal side of the revolution. Window is a love story of a cowardly young man who spends the eighteen days in his room experiencing the revolution only through newspapers and Facebook. He begins watching his attractive and fearless neighbor through a window and, in the end, plucks up his courage and joins her in Tahrir Square. There is a wide range of both quality and subject matter in the ten shorts; however, each one adds a hue to the vibrant interwoven tapestry of 18 Days.