Magic Words (to Break a Spell)

Filmmaker Mercedes Moncada Rodríguez returns to Nicaragua to explore her own memories and the country's history. Her memories go back to 1979 when the Sandinistas came to power, ousting the Somoza family, which had been ruling the country in 1934 with the support of the United States. Managua Lake is used as the garbage dump for the capital city, and it's where Somoza dumped the ashes of murdered general Sandino back in 1934. Ever since, the lake has been a metaphor for the corrupt, degenerate and polluted state. The lake is never cleaned up, so the amount of garbage is only increasing. The year the Sandinistas won was year zero – the victory of the people and the beginnings of hope. But that hope quickly evaporated. Today, poor adolescents talk about crack and street gangs. Young kids listen to their tough stories and join in the laughter. Back in the day, teenagers were part of the Sandinista army. By alternating present-day reminiscences with archive footage, the film becomes a contemporary frame story about the past.