Absolutely nothing!

Except - phenomenal documentaries about both were recently released!

Known respectively as “Mitt” and “The Square”, we at USDemocrazy believe that these documentaries present two important and often misunderstood subjects in a unique and engaging manner. 

If you’re part of the politically attentive public, tired of the same shows on TV, or would just like to learn more about either topic, we think you should give either (or both) of these Netflix originals a chance, and here’s why:

1. The Square

Tagline: The People Demand the Downfall of the Regime

Trailer and official website here. 

Official description: 

As the Egyptian Revolution unfolds, this 2014 Academy Award® nominee for Best Documentary Feature immerses the viewer in the intense emotional drama of young people on the streets of Cairo claiming their rights and creating a society of conscience. As two governments topple, the personal stories of the freedom fighters unfold in an inspiring tribute to the power of citizenship.

Our take on it: 

For many of us, the complexities of US politics alone are hard enough to understand.  Trying to understand the politics of another nation with an entirely different culture?  Talk about difficult!  

The Square follows the Egyptian revolution from the early days in the Arab Spring in 2011 when Hosni Mubarak was overthrown to this past summer (July 2013) when former president Mohamed Morsi was overthrown on his 1-year anniversary in office. 

The Square takes this very current and (to many) ambiguous subject and simplifies it.  How do they achieve this?

Unlike most documentaries, the filmmakers do not schedule interviews with high-profile government officials or sit in on ministerial news conferences.  Instead, the documentary follows Ahmed, Khalid, Magdy, Ragia, Ramy, and Aida.  The unlikely mix is made up of a young street-revolutionary, a British-Egyptian actor, a Muslim Brotherhood member, a passionate human rights advocate, the “singer of the revolution,” and a journalist.

Capturing intimate discussions in the protest-tents in Tahrir Square and heated late night debates in coffee shops, The Square doesn’t tell you what everyday Egyptians are fighting for – it allows them to tell you. 

2. Mitt

Tagline: Whatever side you’re on, see another side. 

Trailer here. 

Official description: 

Following his bid to win the U.S. presidency, most Americans believed they knew Mitt Romney. With unprecedented access, this documentary tracks Romney from 2006 and his first effort to win the Republican nomination, through the 2012 elections, revealing the man behind the sound bites in an authentic view the public rarely glimpsed during the media frenzy of a national campaign.

Our take on it: 

“What do you think you say in a concession speech?”  The film opens with Mitt Romney sitting with his disheartened family when it became clear that he did not win the 2012 presidential election.  

In actuality, filmmakers have followed Romney, his campaign, and his family since his decision to run for the presidency in 2008, up until the night of the 2012 election.  Along the way, you see nearly every angle of his two campaigns, from preparing for debates to spending time with his grandchildren, from speaking at fundraisers to praying with his family before dinner, and making the difficult decision to run for the presidency a second time in 2012. 

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the film is not what it reveals about Mitt Romney, but what the family of an someone running for president has to endure.  There are plenty of tears, both of joy and sorrow, confusion, exhaustion, and elation.  It shows just how deeply the families of presidential candidates are involved in the process, and the burden they bear. 

As the tagline of the film says, whatever side you’re on, see another side.  Don’t allow your political and/or ideological affiliation to let you brush this one aside!  Though it focuses on former republican candidate Mitt Romney’s presidential aspirations, this film is not about politics.