Take a feather and tickle a giant in the foot. It’s a risk. Will the giant laugh, or stomp on you?

Tickling Giants tells the story of Dr. Bassem Youssef, the “Egyptian Jon Stewart.”  In the midst of the Egyptian Arab Spring, Bassem makes a decision that’s every mother’s worst nightmare… He leaves his job as a heart surgeon to become a full-time comedian.   Youssef’s show was a force of nature. Over 30 million people in Egypt watched each episode. By comparison, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart averaged about two million viewers a night.  In a country where free speech is not settled law, Bassem’s TV show became as controversial as it was popular.

He and his staff must endure physical threats, protests, and lawsuits, all because of jokes. As Bassem attempts to remain on the air, stay out of jail, and keep his staff safe, he continues to hold those who are in power accountable. Despite increasing danger, the team at Al Bernameg employs comedy, not violence, to comment on hypocrisy in media, politics, and religion.  Tickling Giants follows the team of Al Bernameg as they discover that democracy is not easily won.

The film evokes issues of free speech, abuse of power, societal divides in the Muslim world, and the outcomes of the Arab Spring.

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