Broken Mirrors [Blu-ray]

Broken Mirrors Blu-ray presents the provocative second feature from Dutch director Marleen Gorris, following her landmark debut A Question of Silence. Set largely within an Amsterdam brothel, Broken Mirrors examines sexual power, control, and resistance through the intersecting lives of women trapped within patriarchal violence. Two sex workers begin to rebel against their circumstances, attempting to reclaim autonomy in a system designed to exploit them, while parallel to their struggle, a male client — revealed to be a serial killer — abducts a suburban housewife, exposing another face of gendered domination.

Cold, confrontational, and deliberately unsettling, Broken Mirrors rejects sensationalism in favour of clinical observation, forcing the viewer to confront the structures that enable abuse rather than offering catharsis. Gorris’ unflinching approach positions the film as a key work of feminist European cinema from the 1980s. This Blu-ray edition features a new 4K transfer from the original 35mm negative and a suite of contextual extras.

directed by: Marleen Gorris
starring: Monique van de Ven, Willeke van Ammelrooy, Helmer Koetje
1984 / 110 min