We Are Egypt

The Way South(nl)

Johan van der Keuken went against the grain in 1980: from Amsterdam (on April 30 with the coronation riots and squatting actions) via Paris, southern France and Italy to Egypt. He made his personal travelogue in three parts for VPRO television. Later, he fused the three parts into one long movie.

Im Reich Des Squatters(de)

Black Pharaohs: Empire of Gold(en)

It's a land of pyramids, gold, and ancient treasure, but it's not Egypt. It's present-day Sudan, once home to the glorious kingdom of Kush. Now, archaeologists are using every means possible - from robots to rock climbers - in their search for clues about this long-neglected culture. Once the Kushites filled the pharaohs' coffers with gold and, for a time, they even ruled over all of Egypt, but only now is their real story beginning to emerge.

Cairo 'City of Contrast'(en)

This Traveltalk series short takes a look at Cairo's landmarks, people, and culture.

David Macaulay: Pyramid(en)

How did ancient Egyptians build the Great Pyramid at Giza, joining two million blocks of heavy stone with amazing precision? Who were the leaders who built these enormous structures, and what did these tombs signify? Host David Macaulay explores the history, mythology, and religions of Egypt's people, combining live footage and animation. Take a rare look at the mummy of Ramses II and buried treasure in the sacred Valley of the Kings.

The Uprising(en)

The Uprising shows us the Arab revolutions from the inside. It is a multi- camera, first-person account of that fragile, irreplaceable moment when life ceases to be a prison, and everything becomes possible again.

Cairo Drive(ar)

A documentary that explores the life of one of the world's most populated cities from its streets. Shot in 2009-2012 (before and during the Egyptian revolution, and ending with the most recent presidential elections), the film explores the country's collective identity, inherent struggles, and the sentiments that lead through the historic changes taking place in Egypt today. For his third documentary, Egyptian/ American filmmaker Sherief Elkatsha rides through the congested streets alongside a diverse cast of characters-from taxi drivers to ambulances, from traffic cops to private citizens-capturing the unspoken codes of conduct, frustrations, humor, fatalism, and life-or-death decisions of driving in a city where the only rule is: there are no rules.

The Latest Secrets of Hieroglyphs(en)

The great history of Egypt is inscribed on its monuments, temples and tombs, but hieroglyphs – the written language of the ancient Egyptians – fell silent until 1822 when a young French scholar, Jean-François Champollion, became the first person to decipher their texts for over a thousand years. Champollion’s insights and the work of other scholars helped bring an entire civilisation back to life. Today, researchers are increasingly interested in the authors who created these hieroglyphic works. Near Luxor, The Latest Secrets of Hieroglyphs follows a new generation of Egyptologists as they unlock the texts inscribed inside a richly adorned tomb, revealing the beliefs and lives of the priests, scribes, painters, engravers and builders who created this grand funerary monument.

The Tentmakers of Cairo(ar)

Amid the tumult of the Arab Spring in Cairo, vendors in a small souk observe the political upheaval while seeking to preserve an ancient tradition of fabric making.

The Goose's Excuse(ar)

A spritual inquisition lands in a village to inspect the dreams of a peasant and his renegade goose. Led by the zealous hums of a divine spectral apparatus, the visitation detects estranged frequencies, a 'spiritual reality' cloaked in the mundaneness of the peasent's home, leading to Cairo's City of the Dead.

BORN ON 25TH OF JANUARY(ar)

From January 25 to May 27, 2011, the film tracks four months of the Egyptian revolution as seen through the director's eyes. January 25 is the beginning, but May 27 is not the end - because the revolution continues.

Why was Cairo Calm(en)

It begins in the days after Sadat's assassination in 1981 by an islamist cell of army officers. The American media had led an outpouring of shock and grief in the United States at the death of the heroic president. All the western leaders then travelled to Cairo to say goodbye to the man who had courageously changed the course of history. But then they found that practically no Egyptians turned up to the funeral. And the western politicians and the American TV reporters couldn't understand why. The documentary tries to find the answer.

Secrets of the Pyramids(en)

This astounding documentary explores the phenomenon of the pyramids - the architectural skills required to build them and their spiritual and cultural significance recreating the former glory of the pyramids in Egypt, China, South and North America

Egypt's Lost Cities(en)

It is possible that only one per cent of the wonders of ancient Egypt have been discovered, but now, thanks to a pioneering approach to archaeology, that is about to change. Dr. Sarah Parcak uses satellites to probe beneath the sands, where she has found cities, temples and pyramids. Now, with Dallas Campbell and Liz Bonnin, she heads to Egypt to discover if these magnificent buildings are really there.

The Spy Who Fell to Earth(en)

Based on Dr. Ahron Bregman's book, this documentary examines the life and mysterious death of Ashraf Marwan, an Egyptian billionaire and double agent.

Whose Country?(en)

A young Egyptian filmmaker recounts his interaction with a group of plainclothes policemen while grappling with issues of guilt and morality.

Les pharaons de l'Egypte moderne(fr)

Nefertiti: Resurrected(en)

Has the famed Egyptian beauty, Queen Nefertiti, been found in a secret chamber deep in the Valley of the Kings? A Discovery Channel Quest expedition led by Dr. Joann Fletcher and a team of internationally renowned scientists from the University of York Mummy Research Team hopes to find out. If they find her, it will be one of the greatest archaeological discoveries since Nefertiti's stepson, King Tutankhamen, was discovered in 1922. The "Great Royal Wife" of the renegade Akhenaten, Nefertiti was a mother of six who helped lead a religious revolution that changed Egypt and the world forever. Yet after her death, her enemies destroyed all evidence of her life. Now, drawing on 13 years of research, Fletcher and her team bring Nefertiti's turbulent reign to life like never before with cutting-edge computer animations to recreate ancient Egypt's great temples, x-rays to reveal the telltale signs of foul play on her mummy, and forensic graphics to recreate the mummy's face.

The Hidden History of Rome(en)

Rome was famed for the decadence of its ruling class, however, what about the ordinary citizens of these ancient cultures? How did they lead their day to day lives in an age when the average life expectancy was little more than forty? Did they believe in the Pagan Gods? What were their sex lives like? What did they do for entertainment? How ordinary Romans lived is, for the most part ...

The Real Antony and Cleopatra(en)

Expert interviews, dramatic reconstructions and location shooting bring to life the iconic legend of Egyptian Queen Cleopatra in this historical documentary.