TICKLING GIANTS is a funny/serious documentary about the business of satirising corrupt politicians. In this case, it's the story of the charismatic Egyptian heart surgeon, Basseem Youssef, who started making youtube videos satirising the old dictatorial regime of Hosni Mubarak. Before he new it, viewer numbers were through the charts and he had a prime time show called The Show, in the manner of Jon Stewart's Daily Show. The two hosts are clearly sympathetic and inspirational to each other, and they have appeared on each other's programmes. But things took a darker turn after the Arab Spring. The people may have put Morsi in power but soon it was his military commander Sisi who had staged a coup and ushered in an even more repressive government than that of Mubarak. Suddenly Basseem Youssef is being summoned for arrest, his show is threatened with being taken off air, and becomes the top news story. He jumps to another channel, but Sisi's regime jam the signal when he refuses to tone down his criticism. Youssef worries about his family and employees and questions if keeping the show on air is worth the candle.
