Rite of spring

The simple and poetic gesture of children burning mounds of white poplar fluff implies a promise—the promise of renewal. Some are street kids, some have a family and some do not, some have a home, some are nomadic, and some just squat in derelict houses without roofs. Occasionally, the mesmerizing play of the children leads the fire to consume a tree and then firefighters rush to extinguish it, leaving the burned trunk as a black drawing on the sky. The sparks and small fires in the film suggest the catalyst of change to existing orders. They recall the fires in the French banlieues in recent years, the perpetually deported and repatriated Roma people throughout Europe, anti-war protesters against the invasions in Iraq and Afghanistan around the globe, or this year's uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East—all of which point to the hope of a more equal world.