The Mirror (1997 film)
Encyclopedia
The Mirror is a 1997 Iranian film directed by Jafar Panahi
, about a little girl trying to find her way home from school.
. Mina is dressed in school uniform (with a head scarf), has one arm in a cast and is holding a school bag in the other. She meets a lot of people on her way and most of them try to help her while others are surprisingly apathetic to her situation. The movie captures the little girl's progress from timidity to cautious bravery. Eventually the movie takes a turn when the girl looks into the camera for the first time, breaking the fourth wall
, and someone shouts from off-screen, "Mina, don't look into the camera!" The movie is a real life capture of events thereon (or that is how it seems). Mina announces that she doesn't want to act in the movie any more and wants to go home. So, she actually becomes the character she is portraying. It is not clear if this is part of the screenplay and made to look that way or if this is really the case. In the end she goes home after returning the microphone. The title Mirror comes from this transition of reel life into real life and mirroring its story.
Jafar Panahi
Jafar Panahi is an Iranian filmmaker and is one of the most influential filmmakers in the Iranian New Wave movement. He has gained recognition from film theorists and critics worldwide and received numerous awards including the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and the Silver Bear at the...
, about a little girl trying to find her way home from school.
Plot
Mina, a young girl, finds her mother has failed to pick her up from school, so she decides to walk home on her own. The movie is about her endeavor to find her way home amidst the noise, confusion and chaos of TehranTehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
. Mina is dressed in school uniform (with a head scarf), has one arm in a cast and is holding a school bag in the other. She meets a lot of people on her way and most of them try to help her while others are surprisingly apathetic to her situation. The movie captures the little girl's progress from timidity to cautious bravery. Eventually the movie takes a turn when the girl looks into the camera for the first time, breaking the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
, and someone shouts from off-screen, "Mina, don't look into the camera!" The movie is a real life capture of events thereon (or that is how it seems). Mina announces that she doesn't want to act in the movie any more and wants to go home. So, she actually becomes the character she is portraying. It is not clear if this is part of the screenplay and made to look that way or if this is really the case. In the end she goes home after returning the microphone. The title Mirror comes from this transition of reel life into real life and mirroring its story.
Cast
- Mina Mohammad Khani — Little Girl / Mina
- Kazem Mojdehi
- Naser Omuni
- M. Shirzad
- T. Samadpour
Accolades
| Award | Category | Winner/Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Locarno International Film Festival Locarno International Film Festival The Film Festival Locarno is an international film festival held annually in the city of Locarno, Switzerland since 1946. After Cannes and Venice and together with Karlovy Vary, Locarno is the Film Festival with the longest history... |
Golden Leopard | Jafar Panahi Jafar Panahi Jafar Panahi is an Iranian filmmaker and is one of the most influential filmmakers in the Iranian New Wave movement. He has gained recognition from film theorists and critics worldwide and received numerous awards including the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and the Silver Bear at the... |
Won |
| Istanbul International Film Festival Istanbul International Film Festival The Istanbul International Film Festival is the first and oldest international film festival in Turkey, organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts , a non-profit organisation. It is held every year in April in movie theaters in Istanbul, Turkey... |
Golden Tulip | Jafar Panahi Jafar Panahi Jafar Panahi is an Iranian filmmaker and is one of the most influential filmmakers in the Iranian New Wave movement. He has gained recognition from film theorists and critics worldwide and received numerous awards including the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and the Silver Bear at the... |
Won |
| Singapore International Film Festival Singapore International Film Festival The Singapore International Film Festival was launched in 1987. The festival is an annual film event, held around April/May each year, and screens about 300 films from over 45 countries... |
Silver Screen Award (Best Asian Director) | Jafar Panahi Jafar Panahi Jafar Panahi is an Iranian filmmaker and is one of the most influential filmmakers in the Iranian New Wave movement. He has gained recognition from film theorists and critics worldwide and received numerous awards including the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and the Silver Bear at the... |
Won |
| Golden Spike | Valladolid International Film Festival | Jafar Panahi Jafar Panahi Jafar Panahi is an Iranian filmmaker and is one of the most influential filmmakers in the Iranian New Wave movement. He has gained recognition from film theorists and critics worldwide and received numerous awards including the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and the Silver Bear at the... |
Nominated |