Unlike some of the institutions Wiseman has profiled, The Spring, a Tampa shelter for battered women and their children, is clearly a benevolent place, offering an alternative to devastating cycles of dependence and hurt. Here, women whose bodies bear the marks of violence pour out their terrible stories to counselors and each other; for many, this is the first time anyone has ever listened. Patiently recording, the filmmaker allows us to witness the complex and contradictory emotions that make abuse so difficult to escape. Compared to the brutal specificity of the women's tales, the counselors' oft-repeated formula of “power and control” might sound banal—but for shelter residents the understanding these words bring can be life-saving. Shot over two months, the film is artfully edited to give the impression of taking place in one long day. As night falls and we leave the shelter to follow the police on a domestic violence call, Wiseman delivers a heartbreaking reminder that cycles will repeat.
—Juliet Clark