Screening of Tickling Giants documentary on Bassem

Cunningham Memorial Library and Multidisciplinary Studies are excited to bring this newly released documentary to campus. The 111-minute film will be shown in the Library Events Area. James Gustafson, Assistant Professor of History Modern Middle East, will introduce the film and provide a cultural/political context. In the midst of the Egyptian Arab Spring, Bassem Youssef leaves his job as a heart surgeon to become a full-time comedian. Dubbed, The Egyptian Jon Stewart, Bassem creates the satirical show, Al Bernameg. The weekly program quickly becomes the most viewed television program in the Middle East, with 30 million viewers per episode. In a country where free speech is not settled law, Bassem's show becomes as controversial as it popular. He and his staff must endure physical threats, protests and legal action, all because of jokes. As Bassem attempts to remain on the air, keep his staff safe and not get arrested, he continues to let those in power know they're being held accountable. Despite increasing danger, the team at Al Bernameg employ comedy, not violence, to comment on hypocrisy in media, politics and religion. Tickling Giants follows the team of Al Bernameg as they discover democracy is not easily won. The young women and men working on Bassem¹s show are fearless revolutionaries, who just happen to be really, really funny.