Now at the movies: Miroirs No. 3

Christian Petzold has often returned to the moods and atmospheres of film noir in his work. His new film "Miroirs No. 3"—named after a dreamlike piano piece by Maurice Ravel—also carries a sense of dark secrets, unreality, and ghostly presences. But here they unfold not in shadowy city streets, but under the glaring sunlight of the wide Brandenburg countryside. Laura, a young pianist, miraculously survives a car accident that kills her boyfriend. Betty, who witnessed the crash, takes her in at her secluded home, and the two women quickly form a bond. Betty’s husband and son, who run a nearby auto repair shop, soon become part of this unusual summer community. Yet the lightness of the season is deceptive. Buried conflicts keep resurfacing, and it is only a matter of time before the fragile balance collapses under the weight of unspoken grief. With another outstanding performance from Paula Beer—her fourth collaboration with Petzold—alongside Barbara Auer, Matthias Brandt, and Enno Trebs as a family harboring secrets, "Miroirs No. 3" unfolds as a summer tale poised between dream and trauma, its airy yet enigmatic images leaving a lasting impression.