Spring in Awe

USA - 2004

Martina Radwan :"My story behind the film is very simple and very direct. I have been a political person all my life. I was amazed to see so many people, worldwide, on the streets protesting against the war in Iraq, and it didn’t seem to matter to the government. I felt very helpless and wanted to be heard.
I have also had a lifelong fascination with Times Square. Times Square is a symbol of entertainment and glamour everywhere in the world — that changed drastically when Disney took over and it became the Mecca of commerce. Seeing the horrible news of the war melting into the colorful fluorescent lights and therefore making them seem less horrible, made me very angry.
I told a friend of mine, Moira Demos, an editor, about my idea and she immediately agreed to collaborate with me. I went out to shoot on Times Square almost every night, depending on the news, and the next morning Moira would load in the footage and we would edit.
We had a very quick turnaround, roughly eight weeks, which I thought was important, because it was such an important and timely topic.
From the very beginning I was thinking about Natacha Atlas’s version of “I Put a Spell on You” because I like the double meaning of the lyrics. Her interpretation gives the song another layer, it could be a love song, but you cannot miss the military choir in the background. I screened this film at Docu Days in Beirut. It was rewarding for me for the film to be shown in another affected country and to see people understand what I am aiming at."

Directed by Martina Radwan