½ Revolution is a personal, intimate story from the Arab Spring: a group of friends living in downtown Cairo struggle to stay together during the first chaotic days of the Egyptian Revolution. As waves of protests escalate in their neighborhood next to Tahrir Square, directors Omar Shargawi and Karim El Hakim take to the streets to capture the historical events unfolding around them. But as the violence and uncertainty builds, Karim and his young family's apartment becomes an epicenter of activity as worried friends and neighbors flock together in a bid to survive the counter punches thrown by police and the armed gangs of pro-Mubarak thugs swarming the streets under their balcony.
The film is the first film that considers the 25th of January revolution an incomplete revolution, which has been proven by the latest events in Egypt. The film's name was decided on from the first days of its shooting, where Omar and Karim considered that the title reflects on what happened to the ongoing Egyptian revolution. The film's team is currently working on the film's website which is going to be the first of its kind for a documentary film about the revolution.
½ Revolution is a co-production between Danish Globus Film and Egyptian Prophecy Films which was founded by Omar and Karim in 2010. The film was made with the support of the Danish Film Institute, produced by Carsten Holst from Globus and Level K is the international sales agent.
Omar Shargawi: "An extremely rich personal experience that has changed a lot in me on the human, personal and professional level. When it came to ½ Revolution we had to record what was happening despite the dangers we faced on a daily basis. Egypt is a country that I identify with, that's why I established a production company in it, and I'm planning on directing another film in Cairo."
Karim El Hakim: "It really became something of a duty. I am a very privileged Egyptian. I have an education, I know how to handle a camera well, I speak a few languages. It became something we had to do, even though it was dangerous. And in a way it was also the adrenalin rush of being in this kind of protest and uprising."
Omar directed his first film in 2008, the feature film Go with Peace Jamil, which among many awards won the Tiger award at Rotterdam Film festival in 2008 and was quite successful in Danish theatres placing as one of the most innovative films in recent Danish history. In 2009 he directed My Father from Haifa, which won him the Muhr Arab Special Jury Prize for documentaries and the audience prize before it started its worldwide tour. Currently Omar is working on his second feature film, which he is going to shoot in the first half of 2012.
Karim is a renowned director of photography and director Arab world and internationally,he has contributed to numerous award-winning political documentaries about the Middle East including My Trip To Al Qaeda (2010), Giran (2009), and Egypt We are Watching You (2008). He was also a contributing editor on Control Room (2004). In addition to his documentary work, Karim was the D.O.P. of Al Jama3a (The University),He has lensed a number Egyptian short films, including Ein Semeka (Fisheye), Miraculum, and Beit Min Lahm (House of Flesh), which earned him the Egyptian State Prize for Best Cinematography in 2006.
