From Jan. 25, 2011 until Hosni Mubarak’s ouster 18 days later, Tahrir Square in Cairo became an international symbol of freedom, democracy and change. But as the head of the Egyptian regime fell, the army and the Muslim Brotherhood emerged as the potential successors. Jehane Noujaim’s Oscar-nominated documentary “The Square” tells the story of a group of activists who return to Tahrir Square repeatedly to reclaim the 2011 revolution and defy the new power structure.

The film starts by capturing the seemingly invincible momentum of the 2011 uprising. Egyptians of all religions and ideologies stood united against their corrupt dictator, who had been ruling the country for 30 years. The movie follows a group of activists, depicts their struggle and gathers their accounts about the chaotic events and protests that took place over two and a half years, from Mubarak’s fall to Mohamad Morsi’s ouster.

As the political realities changed during the time between the ouster of both presidents, the “revolutionaries” stick to their convictions of a democratic, “civil” (euphemism for secular) state. They demand a constitution ensuring political and individual rights before the election, and they stand for delaying the parliamentary and presidential elections to allow new political parties to form and evolve. But the idealistic youths’ aspirations are met with backroom political deals and sometimes tanks and bullets.

“The Square” does not only tell the story of Egyptian politics during that period. It also takes its audience to the heart of the emotionally charged events. Those who participated in the revolution narrate our journey through the film. Through their own words, representatives of different segments of Egyptian society portray their anger, confusion, hope and despair. The documentary gathers testimonies on the protests as they occur and depicts live events. This raw version of history, unedited by our current understanding of it, is captivating. It allows the audience to re-watch the past, rather than to study it.

However, no matter how attractive the romanticism of the revolution is, one must live with the current political realities. Ahmad Hassan, the main character in the film, a working class activist, celebrates Morsi’s ouster by the army in the last stages of the movie. The activist here is not only idealistic. He is also unrealistic about the intentions of the army he revolted against throughout the documentary. Beyond the timeline of the movie, the post-Morsi military-controlled government would crackdown on freedom of speech, barricade Tahrir Square with high metal gates and pass tough anti-protest laws.

Given the political conditions in Egypt, one might ask if the revolutionary figures at the center of “The Square” actually achieved anything at all.

The fading spark of the “revolution” in Egypt questions the relevance of The Square.

 – Ali Harb