| February 2011, and the Arab Spring is in full swing. International TV cameras are lapping up events in Cairo and Tunis, celebrating the overthrow of one despotic regime after another. But out of sight, in Bahrain, another uprising is underway. Foreign journalists are banned from this island kingdom, but unknown to the ruling Khalifa family, one undercover crew were capturing the horrific carnage of a revolution forgotten by the world. Out of the night the police swarm around the protestors, unleashing hell. Inside the Salmaniyya Hospital, the victims scream and writhe in agony. Doctors fight desperately to save lives, but for some the scene is too much to bear. "We call for help here in Bahrain: we call on the US, EU, all Arab countries. It's chaos here. It's unbelievable..." one doctor pleads to the camera. Defying a government injunction in order to treat the huge numbers of wounded protesters, they are accused of "fabricating" accounts of injuries and become the target of cruel oppression. The Bahrainis had enjoyed a brief taste of freedom as they rallied together, making banners and painting murals. The white tower of Pearl Roundabout in the heart of the capital became a symbol of hope. The pro-democracy encampment was allowed to flourish and portable toilets, satellite televisions and food stalls popped up. "Drink tea out of love for Bahrain", the vendors cry. A man offers a marigold across the tangled barbed wire, to a chant of "Sunnis and Shias are brothers, the ... |
