This class has greatly affected me in the way that it has allowed me to develop a much greater love and appreciation for documentary films. This class has exposed me to premiere documentaries, but this was by far the best. I am starting to realize that there is a certain style that appeals to me and that is when a documentary specifically focuses on one person and one person’s life, but also representing a much bigger problem or picture. This documentary was groundbreaking. At many times it conveyed important information through comedy which was a unique stylistic approach and effective. It was appealing to a mass audience, but specifically, in my opinion younger generations. Bassem Youssef was a comedic character in general and has an interesting story about leaving his original career path of being a heart surgeon and pursuing his risky passion of being a comedian and specifically focusing on political and human rights issues. He is most famously known for being the Egyptian John Stewart. I felt touched when Bessam met John Stewart and every time John Stewart went to bat for Bessam and supported him, it made me feel hope that this world can be unified by something. It was frustrating watching what Bessam had to go through. It’s really infuriating to see simple rights that should not be messed with being completely controlled by authority. I thought Bessam would win, but he didn’t. He had to escape with his family for a better life, and many of the people involved in his mission and show had to do the same. The ending was one of my favorite parts. It showed Bessam talking to mass audiences and he spoke about comedy and laughter being a better weapon than a sword. I thought that was a great ending specifically because he encouraged people to keep laughing and to be fearless, have hope, and continuing doing what you care about. He also emphasized the point that a revolution is a process not just an event, which resonated with me. Overall, I obviously loved this film and I really hope it starts reaching the masses and ignites change.
I agree with you in terms of the style of docs that interest you–ones that focus on a person but also late to a larger issue. I think that is what makes Tickling Giants successful–if it only focused on Bassem or only focused on political state in Egypt, then it wouldn’t be as appealing.