When Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak relinquished power, the country and the world dared to envision a peaceful transition to democracy. Military leaders were expected to guide the transition—but with each passing day, the army looked more and more like the regime it had replaced. This program documents the challenges Egyptians faced following the sudden implementation of military rule in February of 2011. Reports bring to light clear signs of state-sponsored thuggery and intimidation as well as censorship and other human-rights violations, including military trials with no right of appeal. Cameras capture scenes of violent clashes in which Coptic Christians and Muslim allies battle government troops and police forces. But amid the chaos and bloodshed, viewers will discern an unrelenting hope for civil society—in the diverse array of political parties competing for followers in Cairo’s Tahrir Square.
