The Mirror

Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, 'The Mirror' is a deeply personal and meditative film that weaves together autobiographical memories, dreams, and historical events from Soviet Russia. The narrative moves fluidly between past and present, centering on a dying man reflecting on his childhood, his parents, and his own fractured family life. Renowned for its stunning cinematography and poetic structure, the film is widely considered one of the greatest achievements in cinema history.

• Andrei Tarkovsky based the film on his own childhood memories.
• The same actress plays both the mother and the wife.
• Tarkovsky used real wartime archive footage throughout the film.
• The film had a troubled Soviet censorship review before release.
• Tarkovsky's father, a poet, narrated his own verses in the film.

• "I want to talk to you. Why won't you ever talk to me?"
• "A man when he is a child knows everything, and understands everything."
• "Do you think I am beautiful? Tell me, do you think I am beautiful?"
• "Why do you always shout? I never shout."
• "I dreamed that I could walk again... and I woke up and I could."