All that is Banned is Desired: ‘Rebel Documentaries’ and the Representation of Egyptian Revolutionaries

Abstract

Related to increasing attention to socalled Egyptian revolutionary graffiti, one can also observe appearance of Rebel-Documentaries, focusing on a similar group of protagonists: young, mostly male (graffiti) artists and revolutionaries. In this article, I will take a closer look at a selection of these documentaries and their inherent power structures that frame representational mechanics with a focus on western notion of the revolutionary rebel. The case examples are: Abdo–Coming of Age in a Revolution (Jakob Gross, 2015); Art War (Marco Wilms, 2014); Al Midan–The Square (Jehane Noujaim, 2013); and The Noise of Cairo–Art, Cairo and Revolution (Heiko Lange, 2012). All four focus on role and supposedly free, rebellious spirit of young generation in Egypt. Although taking different perspectives, films sketch out a snap shot of a generation that is caught in an ongoing violent revolutionary process by (re)presenting a specific rebellious Egyptian identity. In discussing works, I will look at different intertwined representational effects that are related to composition, realization and commercialization of films. Finally, article raises questions about self-positionality of protagonists as well as to localization of films, and existence of embedded power structures and symbolic capital complicit with neoliberal and other pressures.