Spring, written and directed by Laurel Parmet, gives us a glimpse into a defining afternoon for Amanda and Crystal’s friendship. A surprisingly funny film, as we explore the different layers of their relationship and burgeoning feelings, we also witness how a camera can turn a situation from intimate to awkward, to something even more queasy. Parmet created a very intimate setting, with a small crew, one location and only two characters echoing the intimacy of relationships between girls/women. Arin MacLaine and Ellie Yorke were carefully casted to portray subtly the fluidity of the friendship, and its blend of jealousy, envy and infatuation. Amanda most likely wishes she had Crystal’s confidence and determination yet their bond is genuine and built on trust. Spring portrays both a comedic story of sexual awakening, but also dramatizes more concerning subjects like the sexualization of young girls in an Instagram culture, and potential for abuse in the artistic process. By the time Crystal stops the session, hers and Amanda’s friendship might be irrevocably damaged, as much by the flip in the power dynamic that typified their relationship, as by the revealed lesbian sentiments.
