Synopsis

On a weekend trip to the countryside, Laura, a piano student from Berlin, miraculously survives a car crash. Physically unhurt but deeply shaken, she is taken in by a local woman who witnessed the accident and now cares for Laura with motherly devotion. When her husband and adult son also give up their initial resistance to Laura’s presence, the four of them slowly build up some family-like routine and spend some days of happiness together. But soon they can no longer ignore their past, and Laura has to come to terms with her own life.

Miroirs No. 3 is 1 hour 26 minutes long and is in German and French with English subtitles. This film is not rated.

Note: Photos and synopsis courtesy of 1-2 Special, US distributor of Miroirs No. 3 and The Match Factory, Worldwide distributor of Miroirs No. 3, respectively.

Trailer

Reviews

“Petzold[‘s] fine-tuned dramatic sense and facility with conflicting emotions make Miroirs No. 3 another worthy entry in his series of contemporary ghost stories.” ‘Miroirs No. 3’ Review: Christian Petzold’s Quietly Haunting Domestic Drama — Slant, Brad Hanford

“This being a Christian Petzold film, every frame comes drenched in the cool, clear waters of ambiguity, and even the very specific and strange manner in which the accident occurs leaves it open as to whether Laura herself may have caused it in a fit of emotional piqué.” Little White Lies — Miroirs No. 3 – first-look review, David Jenkins

“It’s all assembled with Petzold’s customary elegance and reserve — his restraint making occasional instances of absurdity and chaos, be it an overturned red convertible or an exploding dishwasher, all the more disorienting, like loud mechanical expressions of quiet human disorder.” ‘Miroirs No. 3’ Review: Christian Petzold and Paula Beer Team Up Once More for an Elegant Sliver of a Psychodrama — Variety, Guy Lodge.

Awards & Festivals

2025 Lisbon Film Festival (LEFFEST)

• Winner — João Bénard da Costa Special Jury Award
• Nominee — Best Film

2025 Cannes Film Festival

• Nominee — Directors’ Fortnight Audience Award — Christian Petzold

2025 Sydney Film Festival

• Nominee — Best Film — Christian Petzold