World Premiere
Tickling Giants
Documentary Competition
| USA | 111 MINUTES | Arabic, English | English subtitlesFemale Director(s), Documentary, NY Director(s), Female Screenwriter(s)
Bassem Youssef faced an unusual choice in 2011: heart surgeon or full-time satirist. The established doctor picked the unexpected path and it would make him one of the most famous men in the Arab world and earn him the nickname “the Jon Stewart of Egypt.” Charting Youssef’s rise and career as Egypt’s most famous television presenter, Tickling Giants offers a rousing celebration of free speech, showcasing the power of satire to speak for the people and against a repressive government. This story differs from the familiar American success of Stewart and Stephen Colbert: Youssef’s jokes come with serious, dangerous, at times revolutionary consequences.
With a precise documentary eye, Daily Show Senior Producer Sara Taksler captures the strength and fragility that color Youssef’s life on and off screen, as well as the courage of the coworkers who stand by him. She celebrates satire as a tool with a greater use than the extraction of a laugh, positioning the genre as both a weapon against fear and an instrument of democracy for those in desperate pursuit of freedom. As one of Youssef’s researchers puts it, “It’s my right to express how I feel.”
—Cara Cusumano
With a precise documentary eye, Daily Show Senior Producer Sara Taksler captures the strength and fragility that color Youssef’s life on and off screen, as well as the courage of the coworkers who stand by him. She celebrates satire as a tool with a greater use than the extraction of a laugh, positioning the genre as both a weapon against fear and an instrument of democracy for those in desperate pursuit of freedom. As one of Youssef’s researchers puts it, “It’s my right to express how I feel.”
—Cara Cusumano
Cast & Credits
Directed by
Sara Taksler
Sara Taksler is a Senior Producer at The Daily Show. She directed and produced the feature documentary, TWISTED: A Balloonamentary, about the world’s premier balloon-twisting convention. Taksler can talk backwards and has a remarkable fake sneeze. Sara’s favorite way of Tickling Giants: Using comedy to work through problems.
Director
Sara Taksler
Screenwriter
Sara Taksler
Producer
Sara Taksler, Frederic Rose, Maziar Bahari, Monica Hampton
Editor
Jamie Canobbio, Tyler H. Walk, Thomas M. Vogt
Executive Producer
Technicolor, Hassan Elmasry
Composer
Paul Tyan
Animations based on cartoons by
Andeel
Cast
Bassem Youssef, Jon Stewart, Andeel, Miral El Desoki, Tarek AlQazzaz, Hend Radwan
Contacts
Print Source
Press Contact
US Sales Contact
* Rush Tickets available at venue except for
Beacon Theatre
Beacon Theatre
Rush will be offered when advanced tickets for a screening or event are no longer available at venues
other than Beacon Theatre.
The Rush system functions as a standby line that will form at the venue approximately one hour prior to scheduled start time. Admittance is based on availability and will begin roughly 10 minutes prior to program start time. Rush Tickets are the same price as advance tickets and are payable upon entry.
The Rush system functions as a standby line that will form at the venue approximately one hour prior to scheduled start time. Admittance is based on availability and will begin roughly 10 minutes prior to program start time. Rush Tickets are the same price as advance tickets and are payable upon entry.
