Screening: First to Fall + Q&A

This screening will be followed by a Q&A with co-directors Rachel Beth Anderson and Tim Grucza.

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In 2011, director Rachel Beth Anderson followed two friends who abandoned their peaceful lives in Canada and returned to their home country of Libya to fight in the revolution. Hamid (26) and Tarek (21) had never fired a gun, but in 2011 they ran recklessly towards war, fuelled by their hatred of Muammar Gaddafi and their desire to be part of history.

Once in Libya, their paths diverge immediately – Hamid blazes ahead with fearless enthusiasm, easily fitting into the camaraderie among the rebel forces. Tarek’s journey is more introspective and unsure. Untrained fighters in an unconventional war, they risk everything to reach the front lines.

In First To Fall Beth Anderson captures the chaos and giddiness of revolution, the brutal loss of lives and innocence. Her intimate interviews with Hamid and Tarek chart their descent into war as they discover who they are and what they are capable of. In Tarek’s words, “The end of the story is different than what I thought.”

Rachel Beth Anderson moved to Cairo in 2010, during the 2011 Egyptian revolution she worked as a videographer and field producer for PBS Frontline documentaries. She first crossed into Libya in February 2011 for what started as a short assignment, but turned into a 7 month journey.

 

Directed by Rachel Beth Anderson and Tim Grucza
Duration: 90′
Year: 2013