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Tickling Giants

2016

Sara Taksler

Documentary, Self: Bassem Youssef, Jon Stewart, Shadi Alfons

7.4

29

Documentary In the midst of the Egyptian Arab Spring, Bassem Youssef makes a decision that’s every mother’s worst nightmare… He 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. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart averaged two ... [+]

	Author	Review
United States	Owen Gleiberman Variety	"An ebullient ode to freedom (...) One observes not just the terrible fact of repression but how, exactly, repression works."	POS
United States	Frank Scheck The Hollywood Reporter	"'Tickling Giants' provides a comprehensive examination of Youssef’s career highs and lows while providing a vivid personal portrait of its subject"	POS
United States	Ken Jaworowski The New York Times	"There’s a lot to laugh at, and to learn from, in 'Tickling Giants' (...) [The writer and director] provides a succinct account of events in Egypt"	POS
United Kingdom	David D'Arcy Screendaily	"The length and the film’s extended observation of events metamorphosing into gags shows the vitality of independent media."	POS
United States	The Playlist	"What makes 'Tickling Giants' stand out is not just the remarkable story it tells, but the flourishes director Sara Taksler adds to the tale."	POS
United States	J.R. Jones Chicago Reader	"'Tickling Giants' makes you feel lucky to live in a country where TV comedians needn't fear for their lives"	POS

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