The Bozeman Doc Series continues Thursday, February 4th, at 7pm at the Emerson Center, with the Montana premiere of the award-winning documentary I Am The People.

In January of 2011, Egypt was rocked by anti-government demonstrations. While tens of thousands of protestors gathered in Cairo, poor villagers in the country’s south followed the tense situation on their TV screens and in the daily newspapers. From the overthrow of Mubarak to the fall of Morsi, the film follows the upheavals through the eyes of Farraj, a peasant in the Nile valley near Luxor. A subtle, moving chronicle, I Am The People offers a fascinating view of the Arab Spring and the effects of revolution on the common man.

Directed by Anna Roussillon, a French filmmaker raised in Cairo, I Am The People screened at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, and has gone on to screen at prestigious festivals around the world, winning numerous awards and becoming one of the most critically acclaimed documentaries of the year.

“I Am the People provides a glimpse into Egyptian life that seems invaluable in a world where Islamic and Arabic cultures are often perceived negatively in the Western world. More than bearing witness to the events of the revolution, Roussillon captures the beauty and personality of a family that in many ways are just like any other. Through the telling of this story, she provides a human face to Middle Eastern culture, which makes this film invaluable for anyone seeking to begin to understand its people.” Vox Magazine

“A charming, funny and fascinating portrait of a family…Beautifully observed, I Am The People offers a new, refreshing perspective on the Arab Spring and its aftermath, and shows with great intimacy the ways in which the events have touched ordinary lives.” Open City London

See the film’s trailer here.

The Bozeman Doc Series will continue with one screening every other Thursday through April. Tickets are available at the door or before the show at Cactus Records and Movie Lovers. Tickets are also available online at www.bozemandocseries.org, where you can also buy 7-film punch cards, learn more about the series, and view trailers for upcoming films.