The Trials of Spring
Three women fighting for political reform in Egypt in spite of assault and harassment
2015 | Running Time: 76 minutes | Rating: NR
Chronicling recent Egyptian tumult through the lens of women’s rights and those who fight for them, THE TRIALS OF SPRING centers on three women for whom protest has become a way of life. The film focuses on Hend Nafea, a young Muslim woman; Mariam Kirollos, a young Christian woman; and Khadiga Hennawi, an older woman who established herself as a surrogate mother to other female protestors during the Arab Spring. Recounting the abuse committed against protesters in general, the film shows how women in particular suffered, including groping at demonstrations, gendered humiliation at the courthouse, as well as more horrific kinds of sexual assault. The film premiered at the 2015 Human Rights Watch Film Festival. Director/Executive Producer: Gini Reticker; Executive Producer: Abigail E. Disney, Sally Jo Fifer, Beth Levison, Regina K. Scully
Traverse City Film Festival 2015: Founders’ Prize Special Award
New Media Film Festival 2016: New Media Film Festival Award for Best SRC Socially Responsible Content
“The Trials of Spring does a deft job of handling these nuances, and it’s clear, from the narratives presented within the film, that the problem lies not in an inferior culture or an oppressive religion but from the dominance of masculine institutions.”
BITCH MEDIA