In Mirrors No. 3: A Boat on the Ocean, Christian Petzold once again takes a small cast to the countryside to tell his story, much like his previous film Afire.

After surviving a car accident on her way back from Brandenburg to Berlin with her boyfriend, who dies instantly in the crash, Laura is helped by a local woman, Betty. Unwilling to return to Berlin, Laura asks Betty if she can stay with her for a while. There is a quiet mystery drawing Laura to Betty’s home and tranquil life, and Betty, for her part, seems more than willing to make space for this unexpected guest.

Named after the third movement of Ravel’s piano suite, Mirrors No. 3 draws the audience in by masterfully building tension between the characters. It is an enigmatic story. The village setting radiates calm, yet beneath the surface lurks an unsettling undercurrent, keeping viewers constantly on the edge. A fence waiting to be painted, a dinner table meticulously set before the meal begins, a debate over which pastry dough gives the best crunch, or a piano in need of tuning… Composed of such moments, oscillating between serenity and unease, Mirrors No. 3 has a quality of modesty, with a punch.