Revolution
The Price of Paradise: Age of the Suicide Bomber
The suicide bomber has become central to our contemporary era of terror – a figure that not only dominates the fears of Western societies but also influences the way we fight our wars, protect our nations, pass security legislation and even define ourselves. Join award-winning journalist Iain Overton, author of acclaimed book, ‘The Price of Paradise’, as he reveals how the suicide bomber has shaped our modern age.
Street Spirit: The Power of Protest and Mischief
Human rights campaigner Steve Crawshaw has been an eye witness to some of the most dramatic demonstrations of recent years. His forthcoming book, Street Spirit: The Power of Protest and Mischief provides unique commentary on the power of non-violent protest, drawing on Crawshaw’s experience reporting on the east European revolutions, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Balkan wars. But are humour and creativity truly effective in bringing about social change?
Screening: The War Show + Q&A
This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Andreas Møl Dalsgaard.
Through observational and at times humorous footage of everyday life, The War Show exposes what it is like to be a creative, ambitious young woman living amidst one of the most destructive conflicts of our time. This unprecedented documentary offers a rarely-seen image of youth culture in Syria, following the experiences of a DJ and her friends following Arab Spring of 2011, when the sad realities that follow envelop their hope for liberation.
Screening: A Revolution in Four Seasons + Q&A
In A Revolution in Four Seasons, two politically-opposed young women fight to shape their lives along with the political future of Tunisia, the sole country to emerge from the Arab Spring uprisings as a functional democracy. Director/Producer Jessie Deeter and Co-Producer Sara Maamouri began filming in 2011.
Revolutionary Egypt: Podcast and Photos
On Wednesday 10 February 2016, a panel of experts joined an audience at the Frontline Club to discuss Revolutionary Egypt Five Years On. Speakers included Jack Shenker, journalist and former Egypt correspondent for the Guardian; Dr Omar Ashour, an associate fellow at Chatham House and senior lecturer in Security Studies in the Institute of Arab and […]
Revolutionary Egypt Five Years On
It is half a decade since Egypt’s revolution first erupted, promising something more than a binary choice between Islamism and military authoritarianism. Yet since the unrest began we have seen the Muslim Brotherhood rise to power, only to be overthrown by an army strongman – but is this just the start?
From Damascus to France: A Syrian Love Story
By Francis Churchill The plight of Syrians has returned to the headlines following the recent release of a tragic image of young Aylan Kurdi lying dead in the sand. It is easy to forget that the current situation in Syria, and the millions of refugees who have been forced to flee the country, has its roots in […]
Green Caravan Film Festival Screening: I Am the People
I Am The People presents a charming, funny and fascinating portrait of a family, far from Tahrir Square in Egypt’s rural South, as they follow the Tahrir uprising. The film charts their progression from amused distant observers of the events in Cairo through their increasing engagement and politicisation.
Nawal El Saadawi in conversation with Wendell Steavenson
Four and a half years ago, Egypt dominated headlines globally with scenes of hope and change in Tahrir Square, yet now the country garners attention for a very different reason – the imprisonment of journalists. Much has changed in Egypt since Nawal El Saadawi last spoke at the Frontline Club four years ago, and we are pleased to welcome her again to reflect on the situation today in Egypt. She will be joined in conversation with journalist Wendell Steavenson, who was in Tahrir fours years ago and has covered the change that has taken place in subsequent years.
The Red Web: The Struggle Between Russia’s Digital Dictators and the New Online Revolutionaries
On the eighth floor of an ordinary-looking building in an otherwise residential district of southwest Moscow, in a room occupied by the Federal Security Service (FSB), is a box the size of a VHS player marked SORM. The Russian government’s front line in the battle for the future of the Internet, SORM is the world’s most intrusive listening device – monitoring e-mails, Internet usage, Skype, and all social networks.
In a new book, The Red Web, Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan peel back the history of advanced surveillance systems in Russia. They will be joining us to discuss what they found and to reveal how a free global exchange can be coerced into becoming a tool of repression and geopolitical warfare.
Screening: Everyday Rebellion + Q&A
The reasons for the various people’s uprisings across the world may be diverse, but the creative nonviolent tactics they use in their struggles are strongly connected. So are the activists who share these strategies, new ideas and established methods. Everyday Rebellion is a story about the richness of peaceful protest, acted out everyday by passionate people from Spain, Iran, Syria, Ukraine, the USA, the UK and Serbia.
This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Arman Riahi.
Rice Pudding and Lego Men: A Blueprint for Revolution
By Elliott Goat “Creativity always wins out over power.” – Srdja Popovic To mark the release of his new book, Blueprint for Revolution: How to use rice pudding, Lego men, and other non-violent techniques to galvanise communities, overthrow dictators, or simply change the world, the Frontline Club hosted a conversation with Serbian author and activist […]
Libya: “Stuck in a Zero-Sum Game”
By Richard Nield Photo credit: Richard Nield In a week in which Egypt sent F16 jets into Libya in response to the broadcast of an Islamic State video showing the execution of at least a dozen Egyptians, the Frontline Club held a timely event examining the reasons behind Libya’s slide into civil war. The event […]
Insight with Srdja Popovic: Blueprint for Revolution
In 2000, Srdja Popovic was one of the leaders of the Serbian nonviolent resistance group Otpor! that helped topple Slobodan Milošević. Then in 2003 he decided to use his experience to help pro-democracy activists around the world, teaching them how to bring down a dictator. He will be joining us in conversation with Steve Crawshaw, director of the office of the secretary general at Amnesty International and co-author of Small Acts of Resistance, to share his story and the ingenious ways in which non-violent resistance has achieved its means around the world, from Occupy Wall Street to Tahrir Square, and from Nelson Mandela to Harvey Milk.
Libya’s Slide Into Civil War
Four years ago, Libya dominated the headlines as the country struggled to overthrow Muammar Gaddafi. Now, despite the fact that a country of vital importance in the region is sliding into civil war, it has all but disappeared from the news.
In a new book, The Libyan Revolution and its Aftermath, leading journalists, academics and specialists trace the journey from the outbreak of protests in Benghazi in February 2011 to the subsequent conflict. Some of its contributors and other experts will be joining us to offer an insight into what led to the current crisis and how Libya might be able to rebuild itself.
Screening: All Things Ablaze + Q&A
In November 2013, the protests in Ukraine began peacefully but eventually, after much confusion and chaos, drums, bagpipes and European flags seamlessly turned into bloody resistance. When the first casualties fell on both sides, no matter how black and white it seemed from outside, the line between good and bad blurred. This collective project by Ukrainian filmmakers Oleksandr Techynskyi, Aleksey Solodunov and Dmitry Stoykov, offers a powerful insight into the way the events unfolded in Kiev. This screening is in partnership with Open City Docs Fest and will be followed by a Q&A with director Oleksandr Techynskyi.
Screening: Mubarak’s Egypt + Q&A
In Mubarak’s Egypt, director Charlie Smith investigates America’s role during the final years of Hosni Mubarak’s regime. By then Egypt, once the Arab world’s most important power, had become a regional bit-player stagnating in corruption and cronyism. With contributions from many of the leading players in Cairo and Washington, the film shows how revolution became the only option left to the millions betrayed by the rule of a modern-day pharaoh. This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Charlie Smith and executive producer Christopher Mitchell.
1989 Season: Moments After
This autumn marks the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the revolutionary events of 1989. Together with the Czech Centre, the Frontline Club presents a special series of events: ‘Moments After’. These documentary film screenings and talks, aim to tackle political and social developments following the collapse of the Eastern bloc. […]
In Conversation with Alaa Al Aswany: Democracy is the Answer
In nearly four years, Egypt has seen a revolution, the fall of a dictator, its first democratically elected president ousted by the military and the rise of a new leader. All this has been captured in the weekly columns of novelist Alaa Al Aswany for the newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm. In a new book Democracy is the Answer: Egypt’s Years of Revolution, Al Aswany brings together his newspaper columns to give a picture of Egypt’s recent history. He will be joining us in conversation with BBC Middle East editor, Jeremy Bowen, to reflect on events of the past four years, the divisions that they have created and the hope for the future.
First Wednesday: Crisis in Ukraine
By Phoebe Hall As news of the build-up of Russian forces in Crimea dominated the headlines, a distinguished panel convened at the Frontline Club on 5 March for a First Wednesday event examining the current crisis in Ukraine. The insightful discussion, chaired by Paddy O’Connell of BBC 4’s Broadcasting House, largely focused on Russian motivation […]
Oscar-nominated documentary about Egyptian revolution screens at the Frontline Club
By Helena Williams On the day the 2014 Academy Awards Nominations were announced, the Frontline Club hosted a screening of The Square. After winning the Audience Award at both Sundance and the Toronto International Film Festival, the film is now in the run-up for an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. The Square portrays the Egyptian revolution and […]
Screening: In the Shadow of a Man + Q&A
In the wake of the Egyptian revolution, four women speak of their fight for the future and what it means to be a woman in Egypt. Although Wafaa, Suzanne, Shahinda and Badreya are each from vastly different backgrounds and generations, they are deeply connected by the current changes in Egypt. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Hanan Abdalla, moderated by Yasmin El Derby.
Egypt Crisis: Yosri Fouda in conversation with Jeremy Bowen
As political instability continues in Egypt, renowned Arab journalist Yosri Fouda will be joining the BBC’s Middle East Editor, Jeremy Bowen in conversation, to give some insight into how this situation will develop.
Writing Revolution: The Voices from Tunis to Damascus
By Helena Williams On Tuesday 29 May, the Frontline Club showcased ‘Writing Revolution: the Voices from Tunis to Damascus’, a book which celebrates some of the best new writing to emerge from the Arab Spring. The collection of articles and essays focusses on what the revolutions, which have rumbled across North Africa and the Middle […]
Writing Revolution: The voices from Tunis to Damascus
From Cairo to Damascus, Tunisia to Bahrain, Writing Revolution brings together some of the best new writing born out of the profound changes shaking the region. We will be joined by the editors and two of the contributors to talk about their work and how it has been shaped and influenced by the historic events unfolding around them.
Transforming Egyptian Journalism
By Richard Nield The key to the development of the media in Egypt is not the transformation of journalists but the transformation of institutions, argues Naomi Sakr in her new book, Transformations in Egyptian Journalism. “I wanted to demonstrate that journalism as such may be the least of the problems in the Egyptian media,” said […]
Two years of revolution: Bahrain’s uprising and Britain’s position
This event is organised by Bahrain Pro-Democracy Group in UK and Sayed Alwadaei, political activist in UK.
A special seminar to coincide with the second anniversary of Bahrain’s 14 February Revolution.
It is the longest and most peaceful revolution, yet the least covered by the Western media. When the youth of the Gulf island of Bahrain decided to join the Arab Spring on 14 February 2011 they were responding to the call for change that had resonated in the corners of the Arab world. Two years later, they have remained faithful to their revolutions, slogans and human values.
Bam shuts the town down
By David Arnold, reporting from Sana’a Since arriving in Sana’a three weeks ago, I’ve been shocked by the contrast Yemen’s cosmopolitan capital provided to scaremongering international representations. For those outside it, Yemen remains synonymous with terrorism, yet in my experience people here are less concerned with Al-Qaeda bomb scares than with where next months salary […]
In conversation with Yosri Fouda – Egypt after Mubarak
Report by Nigel Wilson “These are tear gas canisters made in the USA and this in my opinion epitomises the whole story in the Middle East in the last few decades.” Renowned broadcaster Yosri Fouda began the evening recounting a pivotal moment in the Egyptian revolution. On the 1st of the 18 days of protests […]
In conversation with Samar Yazbek: A woman on the frontline of the Syrian revolution
Report by Ivana Davidovic As the violence in Syria spreads to the capital Damascus and the latest reports confirm the deaths of top government ministers, it is certain that the revolution there is entering a new phase. Many analysts believe that it is not now a question of “if” the Syrian regime collapses from within, […]